Anthony Gordon was left in awe of Marcus Rashford's performance at Barcelona as the Newcastle winger nears a transfer to the La Liga champions
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford and Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon battle for the ball
Anthony Gordon came up against Marcus Rashford in the Champions League this season(Image: PA)
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Anthony Gordon has a clear understanding of the standards required to thrive at Barcelona, having spoken admiringly of Marcus Rashford's performances in Spain.
The Newcastle winger is poised to join the La Liga champions in a deal worth £69.3million plus add-ons. Gordon, 25, is due to undergo a medical following a day of talks between the two clubs. The England international came up against Barca earlier this season in the Champions League, when the Magpies suffered a 2-1 defeat at St James' Park.
The winger's stoppage-time consolation was not enough to salvage a result, with the Spanish side claiming all three points courtesy of Rashford's nine-minute double in the second half.
Gordon was naturally deflated by the outcome, yet acknowledged that Rashford's match-winning contributions are precisely what is needed to compete at the very highest level.
Reflecting on the September fixture, he gave TNT Sports his instant four-word verdict on Rashford's performance: "It's a top level." He added: "Rashford scored two goals out of nowhere. It's got to be the same for us and take the opportunities when they're presented to us."
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon of England battle for possession during a training session at St Georges Park
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon will be team-mates at the World Cup next month(Image: Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
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Gordon was thoroughly complimentary of Barca's quality, describing their midfield partnership of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong as the finest he has faced in terms of dictating the tempo of a match.
On his potential future team-mates, the England star added: "Pedri and de Jong were fantastic. They made it really difficult for us to do our usual press, and they controlled the game. They were the best I've played against in that sense of the game.
"To be honest, we are not used playing against players who can keep the ball in this way. We played against top teams like City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, but the way they passed the ball in midfield made it very hard for us to press."
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford celebrates
Rashford is currently set for a return to Old Trafford this summer(Image: AP)
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A switch to Spain is anticipated to reportedly double Gordon's wages to around £300,000 per week as Barca seek to bolster their squad following back-to-back league triumphs. His potential arrival, however, casts uncertainty over whether Rashford will ultimately extend his career in Catalonia, as he's presently scheduled to return to Manchester United when his season-long loan concludes.
Barca possess the option to sign the 28-year-old for £26m, though have sought to reduce that figure. Rashford has been forthright about his ambition to remain in Spain permanently but suggested staying with Barca was far from guaranteed. Following the league victory, he said: "This is the perfect way I want it to end."
"I'm very happy, I just want to enjoy today. I live in the moment. At the end of the season we will see. I came here to win and we do this so I'm very happy. It's an incredible feeling. Over the season we deserved it, we were the best team. We had some bad moments but we always come back and fight to improve."