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Barcelona wasted no time preparing for the upcoming season, moving within days of La Liga's 2025–26 conclusion to finalize a deal with Newcastle United for Anthony Gordon.
The England winger is set to become a Barcelona player in the near future after both clubs agreed on a transfer fee of $81.6 million (€70 million, £60.7 million). Personal terms are said to have been straightforward, with only the remaining formalities standing in the way.
One notable consequence of this move is the uncertainty surrounding Marcus Rashford. The Manchester United forward spent the 2025–26 campaign on loan at Barcelona and had been hoping the club would exercise a buy option included in the original agreement, which priced him below his market value.
The Blaugrana had long shown reluctance to act on that option. Their decision to then spend more than twice that amount on Gordon, who plays the same position, caught many supporters off guard.
Gordon appears to be a strong fit for the more technical demands of European football. He registered 12 goal contributions in just 12 Champions League appearances this season, compared to only eight across 26 Premier League outings. The Liverpool-born winger also found the net against Barcelona during the league phase, in one of three encounters against the club he is now set to join.
Amortization Drives Barcelona Decision Making
There is, however, clear financial reasoning behind the Gordon transfer, and the key lies in amortization—distributing the cost of a player's signing fee and wages across the full length of their contract.
Barcelona could have secured Rashford permanently for just $35 million, yet a higher annual salary combined with a shorter contract would likely not have made the 28-year-old significantly more affordable for the reigning Spanish champions overall. The Gordon deal will pay him slightly less than Rashford was reportedly earning during his loan spell, while also spreading the transfer fee over an additional two years.
That is precisely why Rashford was reportedly pushing for Barcelona to offer him a five-year deal at reduced wages—hoping that lowering the club's annual expenditure would improve his chances of staying.
As things stand, the yearly cost difference is minimal. But in Gordon, Barcelona have acquired a comparable player who is more than three years younger and still with room to develop. At nearly 29, Rashford may have already reached his ceiling. The Catalans could also look to sell Gordon in three or four years, whereas a similar investment in Rashford could be almost entirely written off by 2029.
Rashford's Future Lies Elsewhere
A Barcelona move for Rashford has not been entirely ruled out, and the player is said to be holding onto hope until that door is officially closed. However, one unnamed club official was quoted by The Athletic as saying a deal is now "more complicated" than it was prior to the Gordon agreement.
Rashford's realistic options appear to be a reintegration at Manchester United, who do have a need for a left forward, or a transfer to a new club—whether in England or overseas for a second stint abroad.
Clubs such as Aston Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan could all be considered potential destinations.