The Anthony Gordon Barcelona transfer was confirmed for a fee of £69 million earlier this summer. It has been explained by the winger himself in a new interview. Gordon told Chronicle Live he specifically wanted to leave the Premier League because he felt his football intelligence was never properly valued in England.
Anthony Gordon directly attributes Barcelona transfer to English disrespect
Speaking about how his reputation has shifted since leaving Newcastle United, Gordon said:
“I think I’ve become a different player in a lot of people’s eyes because I always felt in England people respected me because I was fast. I pressed, but they never actually respected the quality and IQ that I play with. Only the players I play with ever seem to notice that. I think now that I’m at Barcelona and I play a different style. Those qualities are highlighted much more. People are actually starting to take notice that I’m not just quick. I think in England it was never really respected because people just see me as really quick and really aggressive. Whereas in Spain I think they really appreciate my IQ and quality because in Barcelona, if you’re not technical, if you’re not smart, you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.”
Gordon left no doubt that the move was a deliberate choice rather than one forced upon him. Asked whether players sometimes have to leave home to be properly appreciated, he replied:
“Yeah. That was kind of what I wanted, if I’m honest. I wanted to leave the Premier League. I wanted a different experience, and I wanted exactly that. I felt like I had more than what people thought of me. I wanted to show that on the world’s biggest stage.”
Former Newcastle United winger outlines technical friction in Premier League
Gordon’s comments point to a broader frustration with how English football judged him during his time on Tyneside. He believes supporters and pundits focused on his running power and pressing intensity. All while overlooking his decision-making and technical range. That perception, he suggests, followed him throughout his Newcastle career despite regularly delivering the end product in the final third.
He credited his own teammates with recognising the parts of his game that wider audiences missed. According to Gordon, only those training and playing alongside him each week properly understood his football IQ, rather than fans watching from the stands or pundits assessing him from television studios.
Fuller context on Gordon’s recent Newcastle career, including our earlier report, shows how heavily the team relied on pace and pressing from its attackers.
Tactical contrast between Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle and Hansi Flick’s Barcelona
Gordon was direct about the tactical gulf between his old and new clubs. Asked whether attitudes towards him in England are changing, he said:
“I think they’re starting to. I still think it can happen more but they’re starting to because they see me play for Barcelona in a different style of football where maybe those qualities are highlighted more. I played for Newcastle who were a really intense running team so the attributes of running and aggression were always on show. Now, I play a whole opposite style of football where my other qualities can show.”
Under Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle built their identity on relentless running and physical pressing. A system that suited Gordon’s athletic strengths but, in his view, left his technical side in the shadows. Barcelona under Hansi Flick ask for something different. Their possession-based approach rewards close control, quick thinking and precise passing under pressure.
That shift was evident from Gordon’s first competitive outing for the club. He made his debut in August against Elche, impressing as Barcelona won 5-2. Readers can revisit how Newcastle United adapt their wide options since Gordon’s departure reshaped their attacking plans.
Barcelona’s strong La Liga form and Gordon’s international timeline
The Anthony Gordon Barcelona switch has coincided with an outstanding start to the season for his new club. Barcelona have won all seven of their La Liga games so far. This gives early weight to his claim that the technical demands there suit him.
His form has not gone unnoticed at international level either. Gordon scored for England in their 3-2 defeat to Spain at Wembley during the Nations League. A reminder that his end product has travelled with him regardless of the system around him.
Gordon’s full remarks were given in an interview with Chronicle Live, in which he set out plainly why he chose Barcelona over staying in the Premier League.
