Anthony Gordon realises 'childhood dream' as Newcastle star completes £69m Barcelona switch | OneFootball

England forward got his move sorted before the upcoming World Cup

The England forward, who will represent his country at this summer’s World Cup, was confirmed as a Barca player on Friday evening after completing his £69.3million move from Newcastle United, signing a five-year deal in Catalonia.

It had been previously reported that Hansi Flick’s side were in negotiations with the Magpies over Gordon, with Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich also rumoured to hold a strong interest.

But it was the La Liga champions that won the race for his signature, and they have landed him before he jets off to north America for the upcoming tournament.

"It's the stuff I dreamed of as a child. It really is a dream come true to be here.

"I know it comes with a lot of responsibility, but I'm ready for this kind of challenge.

"I know the players in the past who've worn the shirt... it holds a lot of weight, but I'm excited for the challenge."

Gordon’s arrival leaves question marks over Marcus Rashford’s stay at the Nou Camp.

The Manchester United loanee had a £30m option for Barca to trigger to keep him in Spain permanently, and it was believed that the Catalans wanted to keep him, but were trying to negotiate a lower price with United.

Gordon, 25, has primarily played off the left during his time at Newcastle, where he arrived for £50m from Everton, but he was also fielded up front or on the right by manager Eddie Howe.

He comes into a Barcelona final third that boasts two of the world’s best players, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

"To play with Lamine [Yamal] and the rest of the players is very exciting for me,” Gordon continued.

"I think the more players with quality around you, the better you are going to be.

"These players are at the very top level for a reason. They are the best players in the world.

"They have so much quality; when we [Newcastle] played them at St James' Park, we could not touch the ball."

Questions to be asked: Marcus Rashford

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At his presentation, Gordon answered some of the Spanish media’s questions in the native language, explaining how he could already communicate.

"I wanted to speak Spanish because, as a kid, I believed I would play for Barca, believe it or not," he revealed.

"I have a physio in Newcastle and we spoke every day and I told him that one day I would play for Barca, so I wanted to learn Spanish."