Information that Anthony Gordon is preparing to move from Newcastle to Barcelona is creating more controversy than consensus. The transfer fee for this deal is said to be around 80 million Euros, including surcharges.
However, Barca's willingness to spend a large sum of money for Gordon makes many people question, especially when Marcus Rashford - who is said to have a significantly lower price - is still a feasible option.
After a season of only scoring 6 goals in the Premier League, Gordon clearly does not possess outstanding numbers. So what makes Barcelona determined to pursue him so much?
Which type of player is Barcelona looking for?
Whether it's Gordon, Rashford or another name, coach Hansi Flick is clearly looking for a versatile attacking player who can operate flexibly in attack.
In the context that Barcelona is still paying great attention to Julian Alvarez, it is likely that the Argentine striker will be the priority choice in the center forward position. This means that the team needs another player who can support in many different roles.
Rashford meets this criterion quite well. Although often playing on the left wing, the Manchester United player has also played center forward in many matches at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Gordon has less experience playing center forward, but Eddie Howe used to use him in this position to speed up Newcastle's attack. And in fact, Gordon played quite effectively.
9 out of his total 17 goals last season were scored when playing as a center forward, including 5 goals in the Champions League. Rashford also has a not-bad performance with 4 goals in 7 matches in this position.
The difference lies in the Champions League
If only considering domestic statistics, Rashford is significantly better. Although not regularly starting, the English striker still directly participated in 19 goals after 36 matches, compared to Gordon's 10 appearances after 34 matches.
However, when including the Champions League, the gap will narrow significantly. Rashford has a total of 28 contributions to goals after 49 matches, and Gordon is 22 after 46 matches. On average, Rashford is still slightly better in each match, but Gordon's performance in the European arena is particularly impressive.
Only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane scored more goals than Gordon in the 2025-2026 Champions League season. If counting the total number of goals scored, only Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior surpassed him.
That is considered an important factor that convinced Barcelona. Hansi Flick's team has dominated La Liga for two consecutive seasons, but has not been able to make a big enough mark in the Champions League. Therefore, a player who regularly shines in big matches like Gordon is clearly very noteworthy.
Pressing ability and activity intensity
In addition to attacking ability, Gordon also scores points thanks to his fighting spirit and non-ball activity intensity.
Compared to Rashford, the Newcastle player moves significantly more and regularly participates in defensive support. He also recovers the ball more effectively thanks to his ability to press continuously.
That is a factor that is particularly suitable for Hansi Flick's philosophy - who always requires attacking players to put strong pressure right from the front line.
What is Barcelona planning with a fee of 80 million Euros?
In theory, Barcelona spending up to 80 million Euros for Gordon instead of Rashford seems difficult to understand. But financially, the Camp Nou team has their own reasons.
Gordon is 3 years younger than Rashford and is expected to sign a 5-year contract. This allows Barcelona to allocate transfer costs for a longer period to meet financial fairness regulations.
In addition, Gordon's salary is also significantly lower than Rashford's.
In the context that Barca is still under great financial pressure, these factors may have played a decisive role in making Gordon a priority choice.
