News Focus
- England international Anthony Gordon joins FC Barcelona from Newcastle United for over €80 million (£69.3m)
- The 25-year-old winger signs contract until 2031 with the La Liga champions
- Gordon reveals he has dreamed of playing for Barcelona since he was three years old
- Transfer paperwork caused an eight-hour delay to his official unveiling ceremony
- Newcastle receive their second-largest transfer fee ever as they begin summer rebuild
Anthony Gordon has finally joined FC Barcelona after the Spanish giants completed an €80 million-plus transfer with Newcastle United. The England winger says he always knew he would wear the famous blue and red shirt one day.
The 25-year-old has signed a six-year contract that keeps him at the Nou Camp until 2031. Barcelona beat competition from Bayern Munich to secure his signature.
During his official presentation on Friday, Gordon spoke in Spanish. He explained that he started learning the language years ago because he believed this move would happen. “I have wanted to play for Barca since I was three years old,” he said. “I told my physio at Newcastle that I would play here one day, so I needed to learn Spanish.”
The deal moved quickly once Barcelona made their interest formal. However, legal paperwork caused major delays on Friday. Gordon waited nearly eight hours at the stadium before staff could complete his unveiling.
“I felt very calm because I knew this would happen,” Gordon explained. “My family and agents stayed with me at the hotel. I did not understand the legal problems, but my part was finished.”
Gordon now becomes the second English player in the Barcelona squad. Marcus Rashford is currently on loan from Manchester United, though the club has not yet decided whether to sign him permanently for £26 million.
The former Everton youth player spent three and a half years at Newcastle after joining in January 2023. He scored 17 goals this season and made 152 appearances in total. However, manager Eddie Howe left him on the substitute bench for the final four matches of the campaign.
Newcastle fans sang Gordon’s name during their last match against Fulham. The player says he leaves with happy memories. “This club helped me when I felt lost in life and football,” he told Newcastle’s website. “I will support them forever.”
The transfer fee represents the second-largest sale in Newcastle’s history. The club needed to sell players this summer to fund their rebuild after finishing 12th in the Premier League. Everton will receive 15 percent of the profit from the deal because they developed Gordon in their academy.
Gordon will now travel to the United States with the England squad on Monday. The national team are preparing for the World Cup, which begins on 11 June.