Anthony Gordon is scheduled to undergo a medical in Barcelona on Thursday after Newcastle United and the La Liga champions agreed a £69.3m transfer on Wednesday night. The deal, which will see the England winger double his wages to around £300,000 a week, was finalised after Gordon made clear his preference for a move to Camp Nou over interest from Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
Bayern had a late bid rejected on Wednesday and had been planning a swap deal involving goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, but Gordon’s heart was set on Barcelona and the sporting project led by manager Hansi Flick, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta. He swiftly agreed personal terms before Newcastle and Barcelona entered more protracted negotiations over the structure of the fee, which could rise with bonuses.
The timing is tight. Gordon is due to fly to Florida on Monday to join Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of the World Cup, so all parties are keen to complete the formalities by the weekend. Although the transfer window does not open until 15 June, the intention is to rubber-stamp the move in the middle of next month.
Versatility and goal-scoring record
Gordon, 25, is a versatile forward capable of playing right across the front line, though his best position is wide on the left. His goal-scoring record this season underlines his value: he finished as the joint-third leading scorer in the Champions League with 10 goals, trailing only Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, and ended the campaign as Newcastle’s top scorer in all competitions with 17 goals.
Yet his Premier League form was largely underwhelming, with many of his best performances reserved for European nights. He often operated out of position at centre-forward for Newcastle and struggled for consistency. That versatility appeals to Flick, who sees Gordon as a winger to reinforce an attack that already includes Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. Flick is unlikely to make Marcus Rashford’s loan move from Manchester United permanent, though he retains the option to sign Rashford for £26m – a player whose wages are understood to be considerably higher than the sum Gordon has accepted. Flick is reportedly open to signing both players.
Rashford, whose loan runs until 30 June 2026, has scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona, though his performances have been described as intermittent. He recently scored a stunning free-kick in El Clásico.
Barcelona’s summer priorities
Flick has identified a left-footed centre-back, a winger and a long-term number nine as his priorities for the summer window. Gordon fits the winger profile, but Barcelona face financial constraints: their summer budget is reported to be around €180-€200m, and while Gordon’s salary is within budget, the transfer fee itself is a significant outlay. The club are also exploring deals for João Pedro and have been linked with Rafael Leão and Victor Osimhen, as well as left-footed centre-backs including Gonçalo Inácio, Murillo, Nico Schlotterbeck and Marc Guéhi. Barcelona, who have won La Liga in each of the past two seasons, are looking to strengthen after defending their title.
Newcastle’s rebuilding strategy
For Newcastle, the sale is driven by a need to rebuild after a disappointing 12th-placed league finish. Chief executive David Hopkinson has consistently said the club will only sell “on our terms”, but the financial picture demands significant transfer income. Newcastle’s most recent financial results, for the 2024-25 season, show record revenues of £335m, but staff costs of £343m exceeded that figure. Player sales generated only £20m, and while the club reported a £15m profit, that was bolstered by a £133m gain on the sale of stadium leasehold improvements; excluding that, the underlying loss was £98m.
In recent weeks it became evident that a transfer this summer was in both Gordon’s and Newcastle’s interests. Manager Eddie Howe, whose position is under scrutiny with Alan Shearer believing he deserves another chance for the 2026-27 season, is anxious to avoid a repeat of last summer’s acrimonious Alexander Isak saga. That dispute saw the Sweden striker go on strike and refuse to train before securing a £125m move to Liverpool on deadline day. Newcastle reportedly considered fining Isak over his refusal to play. Howe has previously stated that he will not pick players not committed to the club’s future, a stance that may explain Gordon’s absence from the final games of the season.
Liverpool came close to signing Gordon in 2024, a move that unsettled him for a period. Gordon, who joined Newcastle from Everton for £45m in January 2023, has a contract running to 2030. He was not involved in the final six games of the campaign – initially sidelined with what was described as a “minor hip injury” before being an unused substitute in the closing four fixtures. Gordon has a history of hip, thigh, ankle, groin, knee and hamstring injuries, with concerns about his susceptibility to hamstring problems given his playing style.
