Anthony Gordon to Barcelona: Deal agreed, medical set

FC Barcelona and Newcastle United have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Anthony Gordon, with journalist Ben Jacobs reporting that the deal is set to be completed for a fee of around £70 million plus bonuses, and the England winger already pencilled in for medicals in Barcelona this week.

The speed at which this deal has moved is striking. Bayern Munich had been in the picture and had even agreed personal terms with Gordon, while Liverpool had also registered their interest without ever making a formal move. Barcelona acted swiftly enough to beat both clubs to the agreement, with the aim of finalising the transfer before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in a couple of weeks.

Newcastle now face the reality of losing the player who has been central to everything they have built in their rise as a Champions League club. Gordon scored 17 goals across all competitions this season, ten of which came in the Champions League, a return that has inevitably attracted the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Anthony Gordon personal terms and the Barcelona hierarchy’s approval

Gordon has already agreed personal terms with Barcelona, meaning the medical scheduled for this week represents the final formality before the deal can be made official. The agreement between the clubs is described as a full consensus across the Barcelona hierarchy: from president Joan Laporta to director Deco and manager Hansi Flick, everyone within the club was on board with the operation.

Flick is understood to have given his personal approval for the deal a few days ago, having identified Gordon as a good stylistic fit for the system he has been building at the Camp Nou. That approval from the manager was the key final piece that accelerated Barcelona’s pursuit ahead of Bayern Munich.

What Anthony Gordon’s departure means for Newcastle’s summer

The £70 million fee plus bonuses represents a significant financial return for Newcastle on a player they brought from Everton for around £45 million in 2023. The funds generated will give Eddie Howe’s side substantial resources to reinvest in the squad, though replacing Gordon’s output of 17 goals and his importance to Newcastle’s Champions League campaign will be an enormous challenge in any transfer window, let alone one that precedes a World Cup.

Bayern Munich’s willingness to agree personal terms with Gordon underlines the level of competition Barcelona navigated to land the deal first. Liverpool’s failure to make a move despite their interest adds another layer to a transfer that has been one of the more significant of the early summer window. Gordon to Barcelona looks done. Newcastle’s rebuild begins immediately.