Anthony Gordon has completed his move from Newcastle United to Barcelona in May - and the England international made his debut for his new club at the weekend
Anthony Gordon during a Barcelona game
Anthony Gordon made his Barcelona debut on Sunday(Image: (Sports Press Photo/Getty Images))
Anthony Gordon has spoken of his delight at making his debut for Barcelona - but uncertainty remains around what squad number he will wear. Gordon, who finished last season as Newcastle United's top goalscorer with 17 goals, completed his move to the Spanish giants back in May.
Barca did not disclose the transfer fee when confirming the 25-year-old's arrival, but the £69.3million the club are understood to have parted with means the Magpies have made a significant profit on the £45m they paid Everton for his services in January 2023. Bayern Munich were among a series of other suitors who had courted Gordon, but the Spanish champions landed the England international.
And he made his debut for the Catalan club against FC Basel on Saturday. Gordon was named in Hansi Flick’s starting XI for the 5-2 friendly win.
He was replaced by Hamza Abdelkarim at the break, but reacting to his debut, he wrote on an Instagram post after the game: “First minutes of the season, and in this beautiful jersey.”
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Despite making his debut for his new club, uncertainty remains over what shirt number Gordon will wear this season. He wore the number 17 on Saturday, but that squad number is now expected to be taken by Xavi Espart.
Gordon wore the No. 10 jersey for Newcastle, but that number is currently taken by Lamine Yamal, and soon-to-be new signing Rodri has requested to wear No.16. The midfielder arrived in Barcelona yesterday to complete his £65.4m move from Manchester City.
Gordon’s representatives have also been assured that he will be registered with La Liga for the start of the season. The club has been registering players individually rather than completing the entire squad process at once, and Gordon is expected to be among those eventually added.
"As soon as I knew Barca was a serious option, there was never any question. I always wanted Barca. Barca is the biggest club on the planet," Gordon said at his Barca unveiling.
Anthony Gordon during his presentation as a Barcelona player
Former Newcastle starAnthony Gordon during his presentation as a Barcelona player(Image: 2026 Anadolu)
"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."
He then added: "To play with Lamine [Yamal] and the rest of the players is very exciting for me.
"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."
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