Barcelona sign Gordon in £69m-plus deal from Newcastle

Anthony Gordon was unveiled as a Barcelona player after leaving Newcastle United in a deal worth more than 80 million euros (£69.3 million). The England forward, 25, signed a contract with the La Liga champions until 2031. A fee was agreed between the two clubs for Gordon following advanced talks earlier in the week, amid interest from Bayern Munich.

He underwent a medical with the club on Thursday and was due to be unveiled at 12:30 BST on Friday. However, delays with paperwork meant Gordon had to face a wait of close to eight hours before being officially introduced as a Barca player at the Camp Nou. He expressed his excitement, stating, "Very, very excited, though it was kind of hard to wait. I knew it would happen. I have been very calm at the hotel with my family and agents. It’s stuff I don’t understand. All my part was done, I was ready. It was stuff above me - legal things and very small details."

Gordon spoke in Spanish during his presentation, indicating that he learned the language because he believed he "would play for Barca as a kid". He mentioned, "There was a physio in Newcastle and we spoke every day. I told him one day I would play for Barca and wanted to learn Spanish."

Gordon revealed that he found out very late about Barcelona's interest, but as soon as he knew they were a serious option, there was no question. He stated, "Barca are the biggest club on the planet. It is stuff I dreamed about as a child."

He spent three and a half years with Newcastle after joining from Everton in January 2023, making 152 appearances, and was their top scorer this season with 17 goals in all competitions. Gordon will fly out with the England squad to the United States on Monday for a training camp before the World Cup, which starts on June 11. He will join compatriot Marcus Rashford at Barca, although the Spanish club has yet to trigger an option to make Rashford's loan move from Manchester United permanent for £26 million.

Newcastle was in a strong position to command a premium for Gordon since he still had four years left on his contract at St James' Park. He was benched for the final four Premier League games of the campaign by head coach Eddie Howe, but fans briefly chanted his name following their 2-0 defeat at Fulham on the last day. Howe commented, "While we’re disappointed to lose Anthony, we understand that this is a big opportunity for him. He leaves with our best wishes, and I am confident that he will go on to be a success, both with Barcelona and the national team at this year’s World Cup."

Everton is in line to receive 15% of the profit Newcastle makes on Gordon after selling the academy graduate in a deal worth up to £45 million. This transfer was a significant movement for Newcastle as they begin their rebuilding process, which may involve further acquisitions this summer.