Graeme Souness has wasted little time questioning Anthony Gordon's reported move to Barcelona. He said it was “absolutely fair” to wonder what they have bought after Gordon’s England displays, while Gordon has already said the style he wants is “an athletic style of football” and “a Premier League style of football” that suits his strengths.

Souness's early doubts

Souness said Barcelona will have watched Gordon in England’s opening group games and wondered what they have bought. He also warned that if Gordon keeps playing as conservatively as he did against Croatia and Ghana, he will not be staying in Catalonia for too long.

That criticism is based on a very small sample. Gordon has started both of England’s World Cup games and carries a 6.72 average rating across the tournament, a solid start rather than the kind of display that settles an argument.

Souness also set a high standard by saying Lamine Yamal is the template for a Barcelona winger. Yamal’s 7.1 rating at the World Cup sits above Gordon’s, and that gap is already feeding the conversation around the reported move.

Gordon's own case

Gordon’s own words leave less room for mystery. He has said the football he wants is athletic and Premier League-based, which is a neat fit for how he has been sold and for why Newcastle could drive a hard fee in the first place.

He scored 17 goals for Newcastle last season, and Simon Jordan has already argued the Magpies “must be rubbing their hands” after selling him for £70million. Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League, which explains why some people see the deal as a smart piece of business.

The awkward part for Barcelona is obvious enough. They are not buying a finished product who has silenced the doubts at international level, they are buying a winger whose best self, by his own description, looks closer to the Premier League than to the cautious version Souness saw for England.

That does not mean the move cannot work. It does mean the first reaction has been sceptical, and the next few performances will shape whether Barcelona look like they have bought speed and intensity, or a player still trying to show the right version of himself.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →