Anthony Gordon made his Barcelona debut on Saturday, and the England international has spoken of his delight at pulling on the Catalan club's jersey for the first time. However, uncertainty remains over what squad number he will wear this season.
Debut against FC Basel
Gordon was named in Hansi Flick's starting XI for the 5-2 friendly win over FC Basel. He was replaced by Hamza Abdelkarim at the break, but after the game, he wrote on an Instagram post: "First minutes of the season, and in this beautiful jersey."
The 25-year-old finished last season as Newcastle United's top goalscorer with 17 goals before completing his move to Barcelona in May. The Spanish giants did not disclose the transfer fee, but the club is understood to have paid £69.3 million, giving the Magpies a significant profit on the £45 million they paid Everton for his services in January 2023. Bayern Munich were among other suitors, but Barcelona secured the England international.
Shirt number uncertainty
Despite his debut, Gordon's squad number for the season is not yet confirmed. He wore the number 17 on Saturday, but that squad number is now expected to be taken by Xavi Espart. Gordon wore the No. 10 jersey at Newcastle, but that number is currently taken by Lamine Yamal. Soon-to-be new signing Rodri has requested to wear No. 16; the midfielder arrived in Barcelona yesterday to complete his £65.4 million move from Manchester City.
Gordon's representatives have been assured that he will be registered with La Liga for the start of the season. The club has been registering players individually rather than completing the entire squad process at once, and Gordon is expected to be among those eventually added.
Dream come true
At his unveiling, Gordon said: "As soon as I knew Barca was a serious option, there was never any question. I always wanted Barca. Barca is the biggest club on the planet." He added: "It's the stuff I dreamed of as a child. It really is a dream come true to be here. I know it comes with a lot of responsibility, but I'm ready for this kind of challenge."
He continued: "I know the players in the past who've worn the shirt... it holds a lot of weight, but I'm excited for the challenge." He also said: "To play with Lamine [Yamal] and the rest of the players is very exciting for me. I think the more players with quality around you, the better you are going to be. These players are at the very top level for a reason. They are the best players in the world. They have so much quality; when we [Newcastle] played them at St James' Park, we could not touch the ball."
