Barcelona signed Anthony Gordon for €80 million and that immediately caused confusion and debate across football. The question is simple: did Barcelona really need Gordon? Or is he more of a “Plan C” type of signing and Barça have just spent €80 million on a player like that?
Don’t get me wrong, he is a good player. Not elite of the elite, but he is a monster when pressing and, playing on the left, it allows Raphinha to move more centrally into that number 10 role. Barcelona gain a lot of freedom with this signing, especially in terms of attacking dynamics.
But the real question is whether Gordon was actually essential.
Because now, in theory, Rashford cannot really stay at the club. And honestly, he had a good season at Barcelona. Good numbers, stepped up towards the end, even if he was not that consistent throughout the entire campaign. Still, overall, it was a positive season.
With Lewandowski leaving, Barcelona also want Julián Álvarez, but that creates another doubt: do they not need a more traditional striker profile? Someone dominant aerially, more physical, someone for those types of matches?
Because the reality is that Barcelona usually face low blocks and compact teams, and right now they do not really have someone dominant in the air to unlock those situations.
The squad is strong, yes, but Gordon feels too expensive and not fully justified at that price. Barcelona are still not officially back under the 1:1 financial fair play rule, but apparently there is still money to spend.
And beyond that, they still need another striker from the bench with a different profile, plus a centre-back, on top of the push for Álvarez.
Conclusion
Gordon is a good player, but the fee feels forced. Overall, I understand the idea of giving the team more freedom and dynamism, but the problems are still there and Barcelona still have important gaps to fix.