adminArguably the biggest deal of the 2026 transfer window so far was Anthony Gordon joining Barcelona from Newcastle United. The Spanish giants paid £69m for the English forward, and expectations are already extremely high.
One interesting angle of the move is that Gordon may end up replacing Marcus Rashford, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona. Both players are also competing for the same position for England ahead of the World Cup this summer.
Thomas Tuchel has a difficult decision to make and gave both wingers 45 minutes each in the friendly against New Zealand. Gordon’s performance clips quickly circulated online, triggering strong reactions from fans.
Gordon and Rashford Get 45 Minutes Each vs New Zealand
The match between England and New Zealand was a relatively quiet affair. England secured a 1-0 win thanks to Harry Kane’s first-half header.
Rashford started alongside Kane and recorded five key passes in his 45-minute appearance. He completed 18 of 22 passes, made 37 touches, completed one dribble, lost possession 11 times, and had two shots without hitting the target.
Gordon, meanwhile, completed 21 of 22 passes but did not register any key passes. He had 36 touches, completed one dribble, lost possession seven times, and took two shots, with one on target.
There was little separating both players statistically, with Rashford receiving a 7.2 SofaScore rating and Gordon a 7.0. However, the reaction online focused heavily on Gordon due to the pressure of his recent move to Barcelona.
Barcelona Fans React Strongly to Gordon’s Performance
Barcelona supporters were far from impressed after a short compilation of Gordon’s performance began circulating on social media.
Some fans expressed frustration, writing: “No way Newcastle United scammed us.”
Another said: “Is there not a way to send him back to the Premier League?”
A third comment read: “I can’t still believe we paid that much for a player that plays like this.”
Others compared him to other signings and questioned the transfer fee, with one fan stating: “We paid €75m for this? This is like when Manchester City signed Jack Grealish, but worse.”
Another added: “Rashford is way better.”
However, not all reactions were negative. Some fans called for patience, with one saying: “Lamine is the only real 1v1 specialist in the team. I’m not saying Gordon is bad, but without him, nobody can take on defenders.”
Another wrote: “Relax and wait until he actually plays for Barcelona. That’s when real judgement starts.”
A further comment added: “This is why we don’t judge players based on friendlies before the World Cup.”
One Barcelona fan concluded more moderately: “He actually played better than I expected.”
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Abdulhafiz Teslim
