Barcelona close in on Antony Gordon deal
Barcelona are close to completing the signing of English forward Antony Gordon from Newcastle United for €70 million, plus €10 million in add-ons. Gordon is expected to travel to Barcelona this week to complete his medical tests and officially sign his contract, reports Fabrizio Romano.
The Catalans were not in the pursuit to sign the player last week; then Deco accelerated the move following his recent trip to London.
Deco hijacks Bayern’s agreement
The player had already agreed to personal terms with German giants Bayern Munich, and discussions with both Newcastle United and Bayern Munich were ongoing; however, Barcelona ultimately convinced the player to join them due to their sporting project.
Actions from Deco and the sporting team of Barcelona were rapid in the case of Gordon's deal because the team faced setbacks in the pursuit of Julian Alvarez and Joao Pedro with the firm stance of clubs and excessive transfer fees, so they triggered plan C with the signing of the versatile English forward.
Every detail of the long-term contract has already been agreed upon with the player and club and will be followed by official contract signing and medical tests next week before the World Cup.
Gordon viewed as ideal Flick profile
Antony Gordon's profile could add value to Flick's system because the player is 1.83 m tall and physically strong and offers strong physical presence in duels. Gordon is an excellent dribbler with strong decision-making in the final third.
In a group stage match against Barcelona in the Champions League, Gordon scored the opener for Newcastle United.
The deal of Antony Gordon could potentially impact the thought of Barcelona to trigger the buy option for Marcus Rashford in the summer, as both players primarily operate on the left wing.
Jose Lavrez reported that Antony Gordon's signing was requested by Hansi Flick to strengthen the forward line, and the journalist suggests that Barcelona continue on the plan to sign a striker without any changes.