A boyhood Evertonian who ended up somewhere else entirely
Anthony Gordon is a Liverpool-born Everton supporter who spent his childhood in their academy system before it ever felt like a career was guaranteed. He was still sixteen when he first trained with the first team, and he didn't get his senior bow until a Europa League tie in December 2017 — four years of academy football before anyone outside Merseyside had reason to know his name. Eight years on, he's a Barcelona player wearing the number 17, with a World Cup medal in his pocket. Football careers rarely move in a straight line, but Gordon's has covered an unusual amount of ground.
None of it happened on the fast track people sometimes assume for academy prospects. There was a loan spell at Preston North End in League One, a fair amount of frustration at Everton before he ever nailed down a regular starting spot, and a £45m move to Newcastle in 2023 that a lot of pundits considered a gamble at the time.
The Newcastle years turned him into someone defenses actually worried about
Under Eddie Howe, Gordon became one of the most improved wingers in the Premier League. He racked up 111 appearances and 24 goals for Newcastle, and his partnership with Alexander Isak was a big part of why the club climbed back into regular Champions League contention.
The high point came in the 2024-25 Carabao Cup final, where Gordon played a lead role as Newcastle ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy. His final season at the club was his best by a distance: 17 goals across all competitions, including 10 in the Champions League, making him Newcastle's top scorer that year.
That kind of season doesn't go unnoticed. Bayern Munich and Liverpool both circled, but it was Barcelona who moved fastest.
How the Barcelona move actually came together
Barcelona's sporting director Deco flew to England in late May 2026 to open talks, and personal terms were agreed within hours. The clubs settled on a fee reported at roughly €80 million (around £70m) including add-ons, and Gordon signed a five-year contract keeping him at Camp Nou until 2031.
At his unveiling, Gordon didn't hide how much the move meant to him: "As a kid, to play for Barcelona is the biggest dream possible, it's the biggest club on the planet." He'd faced Barcelona three times in the Champions League the previous season, which reportedly helped seal his own preference for the move over Bayern's interest.
For Newcastle, it was their second-biggest departure in recent memory, behind only Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool a year earlier.
Then came the World Cup
Gordon barely had time to settle in Barcelona before reporting for England's 2026 World Cup campaign in North America. He started to look like one of Thomas Tuchel's most reliable attacking options as the tournament went on — setting up a pair of Harry Kane goals against DR Congo, winning the penalty Kane converted in the last-16 win over Mexico, and later assisting Jude Bellingham's equalizer against Norway in the quarter-final.
He described the England camp as "the best group I have been a part of by a country mile," crediting the standards the squad held each other to off the pitch as much as the football itself. England ultimately finished third at the tournament — not the trophy, but still the country's best World Cup finish in decades, and Gordon's three assists across five appearances were a real part of getting there.
Settling in at Camp Nou
Adjusting to a new league, a new language, and a genuinely different style of football rarely happens overnight, and Gordon has been candid that the transition is still a work in progress — down to joking with Mexico's manager mid-World Cup that he was still house-hunting in Barcelona. Hansi Flick sees him as a natural fit for an aggressive, high-press system, and early appearances have shown flashes of the directness that made him so effective on Tyneside.
The comparison people keep bringing up is obvious: does the winger who terrorized Premier League full-backs translate his end product to La Liga at the level Barcelona need? It's early days, but the physical tools and the World Cup form suggest he's not going to shrink from the challenge.
Where things stand now
At 25, Gordon has already checked off boxes plenty of players spend a whole career chasing: a major trophy, a World Cup medal, and a move to one of the two or three biggest clubs on the planet. What's still open is whether Barcelona ends up being the platform where he becomes genuinely world-class, or simply a very good chapter in a career that peaks elsewhere.
Either way, the version of Gordon lining up for Barcelona now looks nothing like the teenager who came off Everton's bench in 2017 — and the gap between those two players is really the whole story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which club does Anthony Gordon play for now?
Anthony Gordon plays for FC Barcelona, having joined from Newcastle United in a deal worth around €80 million in the summer of 2026. He signed a five-year contract through 2031.
How much did Barcelona pay for Anthony Gordon?
Reports put the fee at roughly €80 million (about £70m) including add-ons, agreed after a quick negotiation between Barcelona and Newcastle in late May 2026.
What did Anthony Gordon achieve at Newcastle?
He helped Newcastle win the 2024-25 Carabao Cup, their first major trophy in 70 years, and was the club's top scorer in his final season with 17 goals across all competitions, including 10 in the Champions League.
How did Anthony Gordon perform at the 2026 World Cup?
Gordon started multiple games for England, recording three assists in five appearances, including setting up two Harry Kane goals against DR Congo and Jude Bellingham's equalizer against Norway. England finished third at the tournament.
Which club did Anthony Gordon come through as a youth player?
He came through Everton's academy after starting out at Liverpool's youth setup, making his Everton senior debut in December 2017 before a loan spell at Preston North End and a 2023 move to Newcastle United.
