Barcelona have struck a deal with Newcastle to sign winger Anthony Gordon in a transfer worth £69.3m (€80m) including add-ons, with the 25-year-old set to travel to Spain on Thursday to complete his medical.

Gordon heads to Barcelona

The England international finished as Newcastle's leading scorer this season with 18 goals, but had been an unused substitute in the club's final four matches — a sign the club were managing his exit ahead of an anticipated summer move.

Gordon signed a long-term contract extension at St James' Park in October 2024, leaving four years still to run on his deal. Despite that commitment, Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson had signalled earlier this year that the club might need to sell players to fund significant incoming transfers this summer.

Bayern Munich had been strongly linked with a move for the former Everton winger. Sky Germany reported that Bayern were not planning a rival bid, leaving Barcelona to move decisively and seal the deal ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

What does this mean for Rashford?

The arrival of Gordon raises fresh questions about the future of Marcus Rashford at Barcelona. The Manchester United loanee has made clear his desire to remain at the club next season and is reportedly willing to accept a pay cut to stay.

Manchester United, however, have no interest in extending another loan arrangement and consider the £26m purchase option in the existing deal to be fair value.

As Sky Sports' Callum Bishop noted, Rashford may find that his performances at the World Cup carry extra weight — not only for England's campaign, but as a direct audition in front of manager Hansi Flick and the Barcelona hierarchy, who will be watching closely as they decide whether to trigger that option.