Barcelona have moved with purpose even before the summer transfer window has officially opened, securing the signature of English attacker Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, the club have also been heavily linked with potential moves for Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva in recent days, operating with the kind of financial freedom that has been missing in recent seasons.
Barça spent around €70 million plus €10 million in add-ons to bring Gordon from Tyneside, and the transfer fee has sparked significant debate, considering the club already have Raphinha, who plays in the same position and is a bonafide superstar.
Has gordon really come expensive?
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona do not believe the operation to bring in the Englishman was expensive, especially when compared to the kind of transfer fees other clubs have paid in recent times to sign wingers.
Barcelona’s official Anthony Gordon presentation. (Photo via Getty)
Some examples include Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for €63.8 million, Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City for €72 million, Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United for €75 million, Jeremy Doku to City for €60 million and even Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for €70 million.
Signing wingers who have established themselves in the top leagues always comes at a certain cost, especially when it is from the Premier League.
Barcelona received similar criticism when they spent around €58 million plus add-ons to sign Raphinha back in 2022, but the Brazilian has proven his worth with his performances since.
The cost of signing a ceiling-raiser
Many times this season, Barcelona have noticed a significant drop-off in quality when their first-choice starters are unavailable through injury, with some of the backups not proving great stylistic fits for the system.
As good as Rashford was during his loan spell, he was unable to replicate the same kind of off-the-ball pressure that Raphinha brings to the table, and Barcelona have addressed this by signing Gordon.
Gordon has what it takes to be a ceiling-raiser in this squad and such players never come cheap.
Ultimately, the best way for him to shut down the chatter surrounding his price would be through his performances on the pitch.