Anthony Gordon has made an immediate impression on Barcelona supporters after making his first appearance for the Spanish champions following his £70 million move from Newcastle United.
The England winger was handed his first minutes in a Barcelona shirt during a pre-season friendly against Basel, having joined the club at the end of May in a surprise transfer completed ahead of the World Cup.
Barcelona had been forced to wait for their new arrival, with Gordon’s involvement in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals followed by a post-tournament break.
The 25-year-old consequently reported for pre-season later than many of his new teammates.
England Winger Shows His Threat
Gordon wasted little time demonstrating why Barcelona were prepared to invest heavily in him.
Operating from the left side of the attack, he immediately used his acceleration to escape his marker before sending a dangerous low delivery into the area.
Neither Eric Garcia nor Raphinha could turn the cross into an early goal.
The former Newcastle star continued to look lively throughout the first half, repeatedly taking on defenders and attempting to reach the byline before delivering balls into the box.
His performance almost produced a spectacular individual goal when Gordon collected possession midway inside the Basel half and surged towards the penalty area.
The winger’s movement caused the opposing full-back to lose his footing before Gordon cut inside onto his right foot.
His subsequent effort, however, flew narrowly over the crossbar.
Spanish Media Hails His Performance
Gordon’s energetic display attracted significant praise from the Spanish media despite his limited time on the pitch.
Barcelona-based newspaper Sport described him as the team’s “best player in attack”, highlighting how “very, very active” he was during his appearance.
One journalist also praised the winger’s contribution, noting that Gordon repeatedly managed to shake off his marker and produced several quality crosses into the penalty area.
The England international was substituted at half-time as Barcelona continue to carefully manage his return to full fitness after his delayed pre-season start.
Flick Already Considering Gordon for a Starting Role
Gordon’s first outing has reportedly done enough to convince Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick that he could have an important role to play.
AS reported that the winger had already impressed Flick sufficiently to be considered for a starting position, despite having trained with the squad for only around a week.
That early confidence could see Gordon quickly establish himself as a major option on Barcelona’s left flank once the competitive campaign begins.
Barcelona Supporters Welcome the New Arrival
Supporters were equally enthusiastic about what they saw from the £70 million signing.
One fan described Gordon as “such a breath of fresh air”, praising his explosive style and suggesting he looked immediately comfortable despite having only just arrived.
Another supporter highlighted Barcelona’s need for a winger willing to attack defenders directly, while a third argued that Gordon could provide the club with a threat down the outside of the left flank and create additional freedom for the midfielder operating behind him.
Gordon’s Spanish Adds to His Barcelona Appeal
Gordon had already won over sections of the Barcelona fanbase before taking to the pitch by demonstrating his fluent Spanish during his unveiling.
The winger has previously revealed that playing for the Catalan giants was a childhood dream, making his move to the club particularly significant.
Barcelona had initially considered other attacking options, but ultimately opted to make Gordon their permanent addition after deciding against signing fellow England international Marcus Rashford following his loan spell at the club.
Barcelona Complete Comfortable Basel Victory
Gordon’s debut came during a convincing 5-2 victory over Basel.
New signing Karim Adeyemi opened the scoring in the first half, while Hamza Abdelkarim and Lamine Yamal also found the net.
Jesse Bisiwu then added two goals as Barcelona rounded off the friendly with an emphatic scoreline.
For Gordon, however, the result was secondary to a promising first outing that offered early evidence of what Barcelona can expect from their expensive new winger.
