Barcelona Pursues Newcastle's Anthony Gordon
Barcelona's interest in winger Anthony Gordon is growing stronger as the club engages in advanced discussions with Newcastle United regarding a potential transfer fee. The La Liga champions have joined Bayern Munich in the competition to sign the England international.
Despite financial constraints in recent years, Barcelona is reportedly able to spend funds generated from player sales. Bayern Munich also held formal talks with Newcastle, but a valuation gap between the clubs remains unresolved.
Newcastle United's chief executive, David Hopkinson, emphasized in March that the club will only sell players on their own terms. Newcastle is in a strong position to demand a minimum of £70 million for Gordon, who is contracted until 2030.
The club faces the necessity to trade players this summer to rebuild after finishing 12th in the Premier League, a disappointing outcome. Gordon, previously with Everton, appears the most likely among Newcastle's key players to leave. He was Newcastle's top scorer this season with 17 goals in all competitions but was left on the bench for the final four games as head coach Eddie Howe considered future plans.
Following Newcastle's 2-0 loss at Fulham on the final day, supporters briefly chanted Gordon's name in the away section, suggesting a possible farewell. When asked if Gordon had played his last game for Newcastle, Howe responded:
"I don't know, as I said in the build up to the game. You can never predict what's going to happen. He obviously goes to the World Cup now so we wish him well."
Barcelona also has interest in Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez and Chelsea striker Joao Pedro. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich has the option to sign Marcus Rashford, Gordon's England teammate, permanently for £26 million following his loan from Manchester United.
Analysis - A Shift in Approach After Isak Saga
Ciaran Kelly, Newcastle United reporter
There is a realistic possibility that Newcastle could lose their top scorer for the second consecutive summer. This raises the question of whether lessons have been learned from the challenging Alexander Isak situation last year.
Newcastle initially resisted Isak's push to join Liverpool but eventually sold the striker for a British-record £125 million on deadline day. Unlike last summer, when Newcastle operated without an executive structure, the club now has chief executive David Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson firmly in place.
The absence of a sporting director was notably felt during the Isak affair and in dealings with agents. Since then, the club's tone and approach have shifted.
Former chief executive Darren Eales had previously stated it would be "crazy" for Newcastle to sell their best players. However, Hopkinson expressed a different perspective last March:
"We would look to maximise the opportunity and extract the best possible price if individuals were to move on this summer."
Rather than being defensive, Newcastle views the competition between Bayern and Barcelona as an opportunity to secure a significant transfer fee to reinvest and rejuvenate a struggling squad.
It appears the club has been preparing for Gordon's possible departure for some time. Although Gordon continues to train with teammates and has been praised for his attitude by Howe, he has recently been relegated to the bench. Notably, youngsters Sean Neave and Alex Murphy were selected ahead of Gordon as substitutes against Fulham on the final day, indicating the club's direction.
