Gordon leaving Barcelona with Rashford regret after World Cup disaster

24 Jun 2026 10:18 BST | 5 min read

Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Barcelona — © IMAGO

Suraj Radia | Editor

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Barcelona thought they had pulled off a coup by signing Anthony Gordon prior to the World Cup but they may be feeling some buyer’s remorse after his displays for England so far.

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Gordon signed from Newcastle in May for €80 million, having been a target for teams such as Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Liverpool, and Barcelona quickly met the asking price, fearful that the 25-year-old’s price could have risen if the transfer wasn’t sealed before the 2026 World Cup.

Current ETV

Anthony Gordon

F (CL)

Newcastle

Anthony Gordon

F (CL)

Newcastle

ETV Range

€56.5M - €69M

However, if anything Gordon's value has dropped despite starting both of England’s matches in North America so far, with the winger struggling to find a rhythm and failing to make an impact during his side’s 0-0 draw against Ghana on Tuesday.

To many Newcastle fans watching, Gordon’s performances will have come as no surprise, having been equally as frustrating in large parts of the Magpies’ campaign last season.

Although Gordon’s true value comes from his off-the-ball work and relentless running, the limitations of his technical game have been apparent and will certainly need to improve if he is to thrive at an elite club.

Particularly after seeing Marcus Rashford make a goalscoring cameo after replacing Gordon against Croatia, Barcelona may be realising that the World Cup tax can work in both directions as they perhaps jumped the gun for a player who will need plenty of work to justify his transfer fee.

Anthony Gordon: the truth behind the numbers and why Barcelona may regret picking him over Marcus Rashford

Gordon scored a career-high 17 goals in all competitions last season but nine of those were from the penalty spot, while he netted just three times from open play in the Premier League.

The figures also do not take into account that a large portion of Gordon’s game time was as a striker yet the England star’s finishing left much to be desired, while he also only provided four assists all season.

© IMAGO - Anthony Gordon signed for Barcelona in May.

Worryingly, Gordon’s mixed form was not an outlier, with his previous season also being polarising despite Newcastle having a successful campaign where they won a trophy and qualified for the Champions League.

Gordon’s best season came in 2023/24 when provided ten assists in the Premier League and scored 11 times – only one of which was a penalty – yet his performances have largely been poor since then.

It should be noted that, prior to his call up for England duty in June, Gordon had played just 71 minutes of football since the end of March and he may simply be playing himself back into form and match sharpness.

However, with two seasons of mediocrity at Newcastle, the signs do not look good for Barcelona, particularly after picking Gordon over Rashford, who was available for less than half the price.

Compared

Anthony Gordon

F (CL)

Newcastle

Anthony Gordon

F (CL)

Newcastle

VS

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

2025/2026

Season Statistics

2025/2026

46	Appearances	49
2869	Minutes Played	2619
17	Goals	14
5	Assists	12
87	Shots Total	117
45	Key Passes	66
27	Tackles	16
846	Passes	1151

Although he can be just as inconsistent and not nearly as good defensively as Gordon, Rashford has regularly proven a productive performer off the bench for club and country and his goalscoring return has always far eclipsed his international teammate’s.

Barcelona have confidence that Gordon will improve under the coaching of Hansi Flick and in a more elite environment but they will be hoping to see more encouraging signs from their new marquee signing or risk him beginning the season low on confidence and struggling to justify their massive outlay.

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