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José Mourinho was a man on a mission. Once the final whistle blew, he made a beeline for Anthony Gordon and not only embraced the England winger but whispered four words in his ear.
“You are too much,” was the message from Benfica’s manager after his side lost a Champions League match 3-0 at Newcastle last October. Gordon had scored one goal, created another and terrorised Mourinho’s defence in the course of the sort of performance that explains why Barcelona are paying £70m for his turbo-charged talent.
“It was a big compliment for me because, as a kid growing up, José Mourinho was my favourite manager in the whole world,” said Gordon. “I idolised him.” Given the Portuguese’s expected installation for a second stint in charge of Real Madrid, it may be prudent for Gordon to keep those memories private at the Camp Nou, where his arrival is intended as part of Hansi Flick’s plan to keep Madrid firmly in their place.
Rather like Mourinho off the pitch, Gordon will bring unpredictability to Barcelona. At first glance, a versatile right-footed forward arguably at his best on the left but capable of playing across the frontline is far from a classic Barça player.
Aggressive and direct, he revels in accelerating into space behind defenders and pressing, relentlessly, from the front with rare intensity. The 25-year-old does not appear overly interested in attempting to slow games down or helping weave intricate passing patterns. Indeed he does not really do patient. Where other players demand that the ball be played to their feet, Gordon surges into space in anticipation of deliveries and charges at defenders in destabilising fashion. Markers do not know whether he will beat them with pace or dribbling, let alone opt to cross or keep on running.
Flick may pitch him as a direct competitor for Raphinha on the left but Gordon is also capable of indulging in the positional interchanging that promises to make an attacking trio also containing Lamine Yamal extra formidable. Yet if a player who spent much of last season at centre-forward often forces defenders into taking gambles they would prefer to avoid, Gordon’s signing is not without risk for Flick.
Newcastle fans became irritated by the inconsistency of a creator who too often underwhelmed as Eddie Howe’s team finished 12th in the Premier League. In 26 league games, Gordon contributed six goals, three of them penalties, and only two assists. It was a different story in the Champions League, where he scored 10 times in 12 appearances – although five of those goals came from the penalty spot – and contributed two assists.
“I do love the Champions League,” Gordon said in January. “I think it brings out extra in players. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bring out extra motivation or adrenaline in me.”
If those comments did not go down overly well with Newcastle fans – many of whom are far from distraught at Barça’s swoop – his analysis of Sunderland’s 2-1 win at St James’ Park in March was received dimly in certain quarters.
“Sunderland are not a very good team compared to us,” said Gordon, who had given Newcastle a 10th minute lead. “We shouldn’t lose to them. They were doing a man-for-man press, but with two players always marking me so we had a spare man. But we didn’t ever find him. That’s one of the easiest things to do but we never used that advantage.”
If such analysis failed to endear Gordon to a Sunderland squad that would qualify for the Europa League after finishing seventh, his willingness to blame teammates was similarly less than diplomatic. Perhaps significantly, a month earlier Gordon had been forcibly separated from Kieran Trippier as Newcastle, then 5-0 up against Qarabag, headed towards the tunnel at half-time in Baku. To Trippier’s considerable consternation, Gordon insisted on taking a penalty which would provide him with a fourth goal of a game ultimately won 6-1. The former England full-back had wanted the out-of-form Nick Woltemade to be offered that kick and was outraged by Gordon’s perceived selfishness.
Although the pair made up, that little cameo perhaps explains why an amicable parting of the ways between Newcastle and Gordon has not broken as many hearts as might have been expected on Tyneside.
Such a lack of angst also reflects Newcastle’s necessary shift from being reluctant sellers to a trading club. As St James’ Park executives wait to find out how heavily Uefa will punish them for breaching European spending rules, there is an acceptance that overseeing a necessary squad rebuild will involve raising money through player sales. If a decent offer is received for Sandro Tonali, it would be no surprise to see him follow Gordon out of Tyneside.
With Sunderland having unexpectedly parked their tanks on Howe’s front lawn, there is a tacit acknowledgment at Newcastle that besting their fierce local rivals and football’s spending regulations will involve copying elements of the Wearside club’s recruitment model. Just as Sunderland’s signings are told that a stint at the Stadium of Light can preface a move to an elite club, Newcastle, too, have begun selling themselves as a potential stepping stone to greater things.
Tellingly, Ross Wilson, Newcastle’s sporting director, is believed to be close to concluding a £17m deal with Reims for Ewen Jaouen, a 20-year-old, 6ft 6in France youth international goalkeeper who kept 15 clean sheets in 35 Ligue 2 appearances this season. Wilson is also pursuing a right-back, a winger and a midfielder, with Udinese’s 23-year-old French holding midfielder Arthur Atta, available for about £30m-35m, of interest.
If Gordon will surely need to refine aspects of his game and, perhaps, diplomatic skills at the Camp Nou, his old club seem poised for an even more dramatic reinvention.
