Anthony Gordon is perhaps the most traditional type of English winger. He's strong, fast, with an ability to whip a cross into the box and a work rate that goes toe-to-toe with Raphinha. He comes to Camp Nou with a hefty price tag, something that has made some fans skeptical, but there is a method to the madness. Firstly, Gordon is a younger, fitter and more intense variant of the profile Barca experimented with last season with Marcus Rashford.
Secondly, sheer pace in the final third is a trait Barcelona have lacked. While technically breaking down an opponent is the Barcelona way, the brute force of a fast winger will solve situations when tactically things get slow. Gordon has been clocked as one of the fastest players at World Cup 2026, hitting a top speed of 37.9 km/h.
What Gordon lacks in final product compared to Rashford, he brings in energy off the ball, a trait that fits the Flick system perfectly. This signing will need time to pay off. We might see Gordon struggling with fewer touches, and the more technical nature of La Liga compared to the Premier League, but that's what was said about Raphinha when he signed from Leeds. The good thing is that Gordon can be a real handful due to his physical nature in attack, an area where experienced Premier League forwards always stand out, especially when compared to La Liga's more technical forwards.
Last season, Raphinha missed many important games due to injury and one thing that could not be replaced in his absence is work rate. Barca without Raphinha looked toothless without the ball, with no leader in pressing. Gordon certainly brings that profile over Rashford. Any team that wants to compete for all ***** les needs the ability to replicate similar profiles when squad rotation is necessary. Gordon's work rate will be even more important when the calendar becomes dense as we move deeper into the season. This will also allow other forwards to be fresh and ready to go when the Champions League knockouts come around.
Another thing that is noticeable is that there were moments last season where, in Pedri's absence, Barca could not progress the ball forward with conviction. Having a ball-playing goalkeeper in Joan Garcia and a forward as pacy as Gordon can help in such situations.
Secondly, sheer pace in the final third is a trait Barcelona have lacked. While technically breaking down an opponent is the Barcelona way, the brute force of a fast winger will solve situations when tactically things get slow. Gordon has been clocked as one of the fastest players at World Cup 2026, hitting a top speed of 37.9 km/h.
What Gordon lacks in final product compared to Rashford, he brings in energy off the ball, a trait that fits the Flick system perfectly. This signing will need time to pay off. We might see Gordon struggling with fewer touches, and the more technical nature of La Liga compared to the Premier League, but that's what was said about Raphinha when he signed from Leeds. The good thing is that Gordon can be a real handful due to his physical nature in attack, an area where experienced Premier League forwards always stand out, especially when compared to La Liga's more technical forwards.
Last season, Raphinha missed many important games due to injury and one thing that could not be replaced in his absence is work rate. Barca without Raphinha looked toothless without the ball, with no leader in pressing. Gordon certainly brings that profile over Rashford. Any team that wants to compete for all ***** les needs the ability to replicate similar profiles when squad rotation is necessary. Gordon's work rate will be even more important when the calendar becomes dense as we move deeper into the season. This will also allow other forwards to be fresh and ready to go when the Champions League knockouts come around.
Another thing that is noticeable is that there were moments last season where, in Pedri's absence, Barca could not progress the ball forward with conviction. Having a ball-playing goalkeeper in Joan Garcia and a forward as pacy as Gordon can help in such situations.
4 months ago
