Anthony Gordon is very close to joining Barcelona after Newcastle United reached an agreement to sell this player for a fee of 69.3 million pounds plus extra fees. After many hours of negotiations between the two clubs, the England international is currently preparing for a medical examination before completing the deal.
According to British media, Gordon will have his current salary doubled to around £300,000 per week when he arrives at Camp Nou. Barcelona is showing great initiative in the transfer market ahead of the 2026 World Cup, while also showing a completely different approach in negotiations with Newcastle compared to Manchester United.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford's future becomes more unpredictable than ever. Barcelona has the right to buy out the English striker for about 26 million pounds according to the terms already included in the loan contract. Rashford has impressed in the colors of the Catalan team this season, but Barca is still looking for ways to reduce the fee to ensure compliance with financial regulations in La Liga.
Gordon's preferred position is left winger - which is also the area where Rashford often plays. This means that the two players are likely to compete directly for a starting spot, both at Barcelona and the England national team under coach Thomas Tuchel.
However, coach Hansi Flick is said to still want to own both players in the squad next season. Rashford is even ready to reduce his salary by nearly half to continue to stick with Barca, while the loan contract extension option is also being considered.
On Man United's side, the priority of the Old Trafford home team is still to sell Rashford outright at the price agreed from last summer. However, Barcelona's heavy spending on Gordon may cause the Spanish club to find ways to put pressure to further reduce Rashford's price.
The Catalan team is currently in a more favorable position in negotiations. Gordon's appearance allows Barca to prove that they are not too dependent on keeping Rashford at all costs.
However, the striker who grew up from the Man United academy still had a fairly positive season at Camp Nou with 14 goals and 14 assists, contributing to Barca winning the La Liga championship.
After the season ended, Rashford also hinted at his future when sharing: "This is the perfect way for me to end the season. I am very happy and just want to enjoy this moment. At the end of the season, we will know what happens.
I came here to win and we did it. We deserve this title because the whole team has fought non-stop throughout the season.
In addition to professional factors, the Gordon deal is also seen as a move showing that Barcelona is aiming to rejuvenate its attack with fast and energetic players.
At the age of 25, Gordon is considered suitable for Hansi Flick's orientation of building a high-intensity pressing style of play. Meanwhile, Rashford, although more experienced, faces pressure to maintain long-term stability if he wants to continue staying at Camp Nou.
