Barcelona had planned to bring in two forwards this summer—a left winger and a center-forward—to fill the potential void left by Robert Lewandowski’s departure. However, with the club also needing to reinforce the center-back position, they cannot invest heavily in both forward positions simultaneously.
Sporting director Deco has drawn up a shortlist of targets, with Newcastle United’s English winger Anthony Gordon emerging as a younger alternative to Raphinha. This preference for Gordon over loanee Marcus Rashford makes sense given the direction the club wants to take.
Securing Gordon this summer, though, appears extremely difficult for Barcelona. Newcastle are demanding at least €75 million for the player, a price tag that has already forced the Catalan club out of the race. According to journalist Christian Falk: “Barcelona are indeed interested in signing Gordon. His agent has been active across Europe, meeting with Chelsea and also holding talks with Liverpool and Arsenal. They know Newcastle need to raise funds this summer to comply with Financial Fair Play rules, so he has been allowed to do this. Barcelona were recommended the player, but they cannot afford the kind of transfer fee we are discussing.”
The left-wing position remains a priority for Barcelona this summer, assuming Rashford does not stay. But given the club’s need to also strengthen at center-back and center-forward, paying €75 million for Gordon is not feasible. Continuing to pursue him would only be a waste of time. Deco should instead turn his attention to more affordable alternatives, such as Ez Abde or Jan Vertessen.
