Anthony Gordon’s move from Newcastle United to Barcelona is one of the headline deals of the summer. However, the England international is already discovering the scrutiny that comes with a €70m (£60.1m) price tag.
The winger made his first appearance as a Barcelona player on Tuesday evening. He started England’s 4-2 World Cup victory over Croatia.
Yet despite the result, much of the post-match discussion in Spain centred on Gordon’s performance and whether he showed enough to justify Barcelona’s investment.
Cadena SER dedicated part of its analysis to the former Newcastle United player. Pundits acknowledged his strengths. However, they also argued that more will be expected from a player signed for such a substantial fee.
Gordon beats Rashford twice
The Spanish broadcaster noted that Gordon had effectively beaten Marcus Rashford twice in recent weeks.
Barcelona chose to sign Gordon rather than pursue Rashford’s continuity at the club. At the same time, England manager Thomas Tuchel also preferred the former Newcastle man in his starting line-up against Croatia.
That combination inevitably increased the spotlight on Gordon’s display. According to analyst Natalia Arroyo, Croatia’s tactical setup played a significant role in limiting England’s wide players.
She explained that Harry Kane’s movement usually creates opportunities for runners arriving from deeper positions and for wingers attacking the spaces around him.
“Harry Kane is going to create a lot for the players arriving into the box, whether that’s the player behind him or those on the outside, and in a context with a back four that can cause more damage because he pulls a centre-back out,” Arroyo said.
“But with Croatia’s three centre-backs it was more difficult for the players on the outside.”
The analyst suggested Gordon was partly a victim of those circumstances.
“You expect something more”
While Arroyo defended some aspects of Gordon’s display, she admitted his biggest contributions came away from the attacking areas where supporters naturally expect to see him influence games.
“Gordon has been helping defensively. That’s where he has been best, but I suppose that falls a bit short for such a high cheque book,” she said.
She also stressed that the criticism should not be aimed exclusively at Gordon.
“In general, his teammate on the other side wasn’t very deep either, and Rashford scored a goal but little more.”
Spanish football analyst Bruno Alemany largely agreed with that assessment. He acknowledged that Gordon possesses many of the qualities that convinced Barcelona to spend heavily on him.
“I already said at the time that I thought he was an expensive signing,” Alemany explained.
“Having said that, he’s a very fast player, he scores goals, has some ability in one-on-one situations and above all he’s very hard-working.”
The analyst also pointed to Gordon’s work without the ball, highlighting the way he followed Tuchel’s instructions during England’s pressing game.
“We saw him pressing, jumping onto the centre-back on the right side exactly as Thomas Tuchel had asked him to do”, he said. “But for a €70m signing you expect something more.”
Barcelona waiting for the extra spark
The discussion ultimately focused on what Barcelona supporters should expect from Gordon over the coming months. Meanwhile, Cadena SER argued that England’s victory over Croatia offered an early glimpse of what the winger can bring to his new club.
His physical commitment, work rate and willingness to follow tactical instructions were never questioned.
What remains to be seen, according to the broadcaster, is what additional quality he can provide to justify Barcelona choosing him ahead of Rashford and committing such a significant fee.
Reflecting on Gordon’s transfer from Newcastle United, Arroyo remarked that in England there had been “smiles” and a feeling that the player had been sold well.
Nobody at Barcelona is likely to draw major conclusions after a single World Cup match. Gordon remains a player the club actively wanted and one they believe can become an important figure.
Yet after only one competitive appearance as a Barcelona owned player, the debate in Spain is already being framed through the lens of the €70m (£60.1m) fee Newcastle United received. And whether Gordon can consistently produce the extra spark that price tag demands.
