Anthony Gordon has just done Newcastle a favour in Barcelona transfer | Football | Sport

He’s not known as ‘Flash Gordon’ for nothing. Because he can change a game in the blink of an eye – and he can also disappear from one just as quickly as well. Which has left some people scratching their heads at Barcelona’s decision to spend a small fortune on Anthony Gordon.

Gordon is set to complete a £70m move to the Spanish giants. Time will tell if it proves to be the right one for all parties. But on the face of it, the deal appears to make sense for those involved. While German giants Bayern Munich refused to go above £60m and pulled out of a possible deal of their own, Barca have negotiated one which will see them spread the transfer payments over five years.

Lessening the financial burden on a club which is still more than £2billion in debt.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have made a profit on someone who cost them £45m from Everton in 2023.

They have also sent Gordon abroad, as opposed to selling him to an English rival.

But most importantly of all, Newcastle have avoided a repeat of the saga which engulfed them 12 months ago surrounding Alexander Isak.

Like Isak, Gordon made it clear he wanted out of St James’ Park.

But Newcastle bosses learned a valuable lesson, and have got rid of Gordon now to avoid the speculation damaging the club’s reputation and preparations for next season.

Eddie Howe will now have time to re-invest the fee in a suitable replacement for the winger.

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As for Gordon himself, chances to move to one of the biggest clubs in the world cannot be turned down.

Gordon is 25 and not even close to his peak. Which he hopes will come during his time at the Nou Camp.

He is joining the reigning Spanish champions, and will be linking up with some of the best players in the game, including Lamine Yamal.

Gordon has never lacked confidence, unless he’s riding a push bike, of course (he went over the handlebars of one while on England duty at Euro 2024).

And this move will represent a wonderful opportunity for him to take his game to that next level.

One of the highest there is in club football.

But there is a caveat when it comes to being with the Catalan outfit.

Because if Gordon thought being a superstar on Tyneside was like living in a goldfish bowl, it will be nothing compared to life in Barcelona.

The expectation and media intrusion will be off the scale in equal measure.

Failure on the pitch will not be an option.

There is nowhere to hide when things don’t go to plan.

When things are good, they’re really good.

But when performance don’t live up to what is expected, the criticism is nothing short of brutal.

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Back in 2019, both Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic were handed a zero out of 10 by the Spanish press for their performances in Barcelona’s 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final.

The infamous zero might seem insignificant to some, but trust me, players take these things to heart.

Coutinho was sent packing to Bayern on loan a few months later.

Rakitic, meanwhile, lasted one more season before being sold to Sevilla.

Gordon will either sink or swim on the Spanish coast.

But at least he gets to determine what happens next.