Even before the World Cup has kicked off, the summer transfer window has been ignited by Barcelona agreeing a deal to lure England winger Anthony Gordon from Tyneside to Catalonia for £69.3m, on a five-year contract. Though it is a large fee Barcelona are paying Newcastle United, beating Bayern Munich to the punch in the process, the signing is a long-term investment, and makes sense from a systematic standpoint.
Gordon is predominantly found occupying the left flank, but can play anywhere across the front line. He has also played wide on the right, and notably up front, both in the Champions League, and further back as England’s under-21 side won the European Championships in 2023. This alone offers Barca variation, and depth. Versatility, coupled with tactical traits, means Gordon is seemingly a good fit for head coach Hansi Flick’s system. On and off the ball, Gordon is a lively presence, and is a transition threat; Gordon is direct, quick, and makes runs off the ball.
Firstly, Gordon’s top speed of 36.26 km/h against Brighton, ranked in the top 10 for sprint speeds for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Over short, and longer distances, Gordon has the beating of most defenders.
Gordon can attack either down the outside of the flank, or by cutting inside onto his stronger right foot. At Newcastle, Gordon would be supported by a full-back making a run down the outside, allowing him room to cut inside. Gordon’s quick burst of acceleration on the ball means he can create space between himself and the defender. This can be outside, when opening up room to play a cross into the box, or even in tight spaces inside the penalty-area, which can lead to opportunities to shoot at goal. According to data courtesy of Whoscored, Gordon attempted 86 take ons, completing 33, at an average of 1.6 completed take ons per 90. Whilst this means a success rate of 38.37%, there is a show of intent in the numbers, with Gordon willing to take on the opposing full-back, one way or another.
As mentioned Gordon benefits from an overlapping full-back to create further issues for the opposing marker. Gordon, whilst direct, and willing to attack both ways, is arguably not a 1v1 specialist, and this can mean he is not as suited to breaking down the sturdiest of back lines.
That said, Gordon’s prowess on the ball when bringing it closer to goal is evident in carrying into space from deeper positions, as datamb.football suggests that Gordon ranks in the 84th percentile for progressive carries. This works in tandem with Gordon being a major threat on the counter-attack, and is perhaps one of the reasons why Barca wanted to sign Gordon in the first place.
There are different types of runs Gordon offers; he will make runs down the outside to meet passes in behind, be that when inviting passes between the lines, or longer passes over the top of the opposing defence, out to in runs from the flank, deep runs through the centre, and lateral runs to meet crosses inside the box. Funnily enough, it was a late run into the box that led to Gordon scoring a consolation goal in the Champions league against Barcelona. Jacob Murphy’s low cross from the right met Gordon in the six yard box.
The same sort of move led to Gordon scoring again In the Champions League, this time against Benfica. the ball was splayed from midfield to Murphy on the right, with Gordon making a run beyond Benfica right-back Alexander Bah on the other side. Murphy’s cross, again played across the ground, met Gordon on the edge of the six-yard box, to convert form close range, giving Newcastle the lead.
It is these sorts of runs that mean Gordon could also complement Lamine Yamal on the right flank. Both like to be direct, and take on full-backs 1v1, but whereas Yamal can drift infield form the right, receive the ball and take players on in the channels, Gordon could hold the width, and make runs off the ball. It would not be a surprise to see wing-to-wing chances, with Yamal supplying in-swinging crosses for Gordon inside the box too. Different styles, and different roles from either flank potentially combining well together. If Gordon is instead playing as a centre-forward, the same combinations could still apply. He is as direct off the ball through the middle as he is on the flank, and in either role, will look to attack large spaces.
The England international could develop over time within the system, somewhat like Raphinha, developing parts of his game, and playing more of a multifaceted forward role. Raphinha was signed as an inverted right-winger, but has played as more of a left-winger come second striker more recently, and this sort of role could also apply to Gordon. Gordon, whilst predicted to play on the left flank, could play up front even more so if Barcelona do not sign another centre-forward, following Robert Lewandowski’s exit.
Though Gordon is a source of both assists, and goals, he did underperform in the league last season. Gordon provided 6 goals, and 2 assists, meaning 8 goal contributions, when he was expected to provide more than 12, as per Fotmob. Gordon is an effective shooter when aiming for the corners after cutting inside, but he is not necessarily clinical; Gordon’s 0.18 expected goals per shot was not matched by an average of 0.13 goals per shot. Ironically, last season was Gordon’s best for goals in all competitions.
Why? Gordon proved especially prolific in the Champions League in the season just passed, having scored 10 goals. Gordon put the ball in the back of the net against Barca, Benfica, Union, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven, and four times against Qarabag.
The manner of the football played in Europe was more open, and more end to end, compared to the Premier League. Gordon himself commented, saying, “[teams in the Champions League] all try to play, it’s less transitional. I think in the Premier league, it’s become more physical than I’ve ever known it to be. It’s like a basketball game sometimes.” It was a completely valid take on the state of the football played in both competitions, but it goes without saying that Newcastle have been a known for their transitions, and being very physical.
Also suited to how Barca get the ball back in midfield, or higher up the pitch and attack quickly, Gordon is a keen presser, and willing to make challenges to regain possession and therefore force high turnovers which can lead to goals. It was Gordon’s tackle that ignited Newcastle’s attack, which led to their first goal in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea last December. Although Barcelona themselves got the better of Newcastle out of possession tactics when they thrashed Newcastle 7-2 as they faced up again, this time in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, Gordon is effective when pressing intensively, and this is handy in a footballing environment that is currently dominated by man-to-man pressing.
Gordon is arguably in the mould of Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford, Gordon’s England teammate, who spent last season on loan at Barca from Manchester United. Rashford, like Gordon, plays on the left, but can also play through the middle, has a neat change of pace, provided 25 goal involvements for Barca (14 goals, 11 assists), and is more effective against more compact defences than Gordon. But whereas Rashford would have cost less than £30m to sign permanently, Barca opted out of activating that deal. They instead opted to sign Gordon for more money. Perhaps the expectation is that in a side that generates more chances than Newcastle, Gordon will provide more goals and assists.
Both Rashford, and Gordon, nevertheless, will have parts to play at the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel recalled Rashford after a yearly long absence which saw the forward miss Euro 2024. Had England utilised Gordon, a natural option on the left flank more frequently during said tournament, England would have had a better chance of success. Gordon will surely be used more this time around, with Tuchel emphasising trident combinations in wide areas, and his wingers to run, and dribble.
In the past few seasons, there has been a deviation from blockbuster signings like that of Antoine Griezmann, and Philippe Coutinho. Barcelona seem to be signing players with an exact plan for them, as they fit within the style of football Flick wants his side to play. Signed swiftly before the start of thee new league campaign, Gordon is the latest of those, and could well provide Barca with the form he found in the Champions league next season.
