Antony Gordon: Barcelona officially unveil over £69.3m transfer from Newcastle
25-year-old Antony Gordon has signed a contract with Barcelona until 2031 in a huge move from Newcastle. He said he hoped to play for Barcelona since he was three years old. For Newcastle, this is the second biggest fee in the club's history.
Another huge transfer has been added to Barcelona's account: England forward Anthony Gordon has joined Barcelona from Newcastle United for a fee of around 80 million euros (around £69.3m). The 25-year-old has signed a contract with the club until 2031 and was introduced at the Spotify Now Camp on Friday.
Gordon spoke in Spanish during the presentation and made some impressive remarks. He stated that he "desired to play for Barcelona from the age of three". He also shared that he tried to learn Spanish from a young age, believing that he would play for Barcelona. His love for Barça and his passion to succeed there as a player is evident: "Barça is the biggest club in the world. It's what I dreamed of from a young age."
Gordon completed a medical with the club on Wednesday. The club said the official introduction was scheduled for 12:30pm on Friday but was delayed by around eight hours due to pending paperwork. As Gordon put it, "I found it difficult to wait because of the many legal little details, but I was relaxed in the hotel with the family".
Gordon recently spent three-and-a-half years at the club — joining from Everton in January 2023 and making 152 appearances for Newcastle and finishing as the team's top scorer with 17 goals in all competitions this season. Newcastle would have been tipped to command a good fee for Gordon, as he still had four years left on his contract at Stay James Park.
Newcastle coach Eddie Howe expressed his disappointment at Gordon's departure, but wished him well: "It's sad to lose Anthony, but we understand it's a big opportunity for him. Let's hope for his success."
Gordon will join the England squad on Monday for a training camp in the United States ahead of the upcoming World Cup. His Iker teammate Marcus Rashford at Barcelona already has; But there are reports that the club are yet to formally exercise Rashford's £26m stabilization option from Manchester United.
Financially the transfer was beneficial for Newcastle: reports from the campaign claimed that the deal for Newcastle netted them the second biggest fee in the club's history for Gordon. Everton were also to be given a 15% share of Newcastle's profits — a clause in the transfer agreement at the time.
In terms of changes at club level, Newcastle are confident they can do business quickly and smartly, building on recent club hires, sporting director Ross Wilson and chief executive David Hopkinson. Gordon's transfer turned private as quickly as one: while Barcelona had early interest, official talks came out on Wednesday morning and a deal was struck in the evening.
The transfer saw a target for Barcelona, Newcastle received major funding for reinvestment and Gordon experienced a dream move. The club appear to be planning more transfers this summer — notably for goalkeeper, full-back, midfield and a few more forward positions — as they look to rectify last season's disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League.
Gordon also expressed his gratitude to former Newcastle with Nakia emotion: "I felt a bit lost when I arrived — but this club gave me a sense of belonging, an identity. It's very important to me. I will always love Newcastle; I will always be a fan".
All in all, it looks like a fruitful transfer for all three parties: a target for Barcelona, huge resources for Newcastle, and a dream move for Gordon. Now his focus will be on Barcelona, and improving his game with the England team in the upcoming World Cup.