Spanish media are already turning up the pressure on Anthony Gordon before England's Congo DR game. The winger's £69.3million move from Newcastle to Barcelona was sold with plenty of noise, including an unveiling where he spoke in both Spanish and Catalan, but the tone around him has shifted quickly. The criticism now centres on a World Cup start that has looked short of the fee attached to it.
The Spanish reaction
ABC were the bluntest of the lot. They mocked him for having "ran down the corridor of the mixed zone with the press faster than his attacks on the wing in this World Cup matches", while also saying that being measured against one of the world's best is "arguably unfair" but expected when a club has "just staked 80 million euros on you". El Periodico called him "virtually invisible" against Croatia, and La Vanguardia described him as "subdued".
That is not just noise around one bad game. Gordon has made three World Cup appearances, played 122 minutes and holds a 6.72 average rating across his last two starts or appearances. He has one World Cup goal, which is not much to lean on when the debate has already become about whether Barcelona backed the right winger.
Rashford and Yamal in the background
The comparison with Marcus Rashford makes the story sharper. Rashford came off the bench to score the match-clinching fourth goal in the Croatia opener, then has posted a 6.49 average across his three World Cup appearances. That is not proof that Barcelona should have picked him instead, but it does explain why the argument is being pushed so hard in Spain.
ABC also dragged Lamine Yamal into the frame on the opposite flank, and that is where the pressure sits now. Gordon is being judged not only on his own early tournament output, but against a winger at Barcelona who is already setting the standard on the other side. The fee and the profile guarantee attention, and the early reviews have been harsh.
Barcelona's gamble is not finished being judged, of course, and one quiet tournament does not settle a transfer on its own. But right now the balance of the evidence is against Gordon, because the Spanish papers are not waiting for a long adaptation period. They are already asking whether the club backed the right player, and that question is hanging over his next England appearance.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →