Anthony Gordon stunned everyone at his Barcelona presentation with some flawless Spanish – and it had been in the works for a while.
The England international’s £70million move from Newcastle United to the Spanish giants was confirmed on Friday.
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The deal to sign the winger, who proceeded to deliver a perfect speech in Spanish at his unveiling, could be worth up to £80m once the add-ons are taken into account.
The Magpies also have a 20 per cent sell-on clause included in the transfer.
And at the 25-year-old’s presentation, Gordon stunned everyone in the room by failing to address the media in his mother tongue.
He then revealed that he’s been learning Spanish for a long time as he always harboured dreams of playing for Barcelona.
Commenting on his bilingual ability, Gordon said: “Look, believe it or not, I learned Spanish in the past because I’ve always known I would play for Barça… that was my dream.”
“I had a physio at Newcastle, and I always told him that I would play for Barca one day.”
Gordon, who has gained one million followers on Instagram since the rumours of him joining Barcelona first emerged, has also been quick to pay tribute to Newcastle after three-and-a-half years spent on Tyneside.
The 25-year-old contributed to the Carabao Cup win last season with two goals across the two-legged semi-final tie against Arsenal, but was banned for the final.
In total, he chipped in with 39 goals and 28 assists in 152 games in all competitions.
Penning an emotional goodbye, Gordon stated: “I owe this club a lot because, when I arrived, I was quite lost both in life and and in football.
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“The club has given me a sense of belonging and a sense of identity. It’s allowed me to do what I always thought I could do.
“It’s put me on the biggest stage and allowed me to perform for the shirt.”
Flash Gordon
Gordon is the latest player to switch England for Spain.
In the last few years, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcus Rashford have jumped ship from the Premier League for moves to the Spanish giants to Real Madrid and Barca respectively.
You can also throw Three Lions star Jude Bellingham in there, who has never played in the top-flight of English football.
He went from the Championship to the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund before switching to Madrid in 2023.
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Howe about that?
For Magpies boss Eddie Howe, he has failed to hide his disappointment at losing Gordon, but insisted he cannot fault a player for wanting to join such a prestigious side.
He told Newcastle’s website: “While we’re disappointed to lose Anthony from our squad, we understand that this is a big opportunity for him.
“He has been a big part of our success in recent years, and the fact that he developed into an England international during his time at Newcastle United is a testament to the hard work he invested to his development with the support from everyone at the club.
“He leaves with our best wishes, and I am confident that he will go onto be a success, both with Barcelona and the national team at this year’s World Cup.”
