Marcus Rashford gets a friendly explanation from Barcelona about why they chose Anthony Gordon instead of him.
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco recently shared why the club chose to sign Anthony Gordon instead of Marcus Rashford, a decision that got a lot of attention this summer.
Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona and played regularly, scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists across all competitions. He impressed many, including coach Hansi Flick, but despite this, Barcelona decided not to use their €30 million (£25.9m) option to buy him.
Flick praised Rashford last month and said he would miss him, as Rashford is now a key part of Manchester United under Michael Carrick. “From my first chat with Anthony Gordon, I could see he was really excited to join Barca,” Flick said during pre-season. “I’m really happy to have him on our team.”
Instead of signing Rashford permanently, Barcelona spent £69.3 million (€80m) on Gordon, who has already made a strong start with five assists in his first four La Liga games.
Deco explained the club’s thinking behind choosing Gordon over Rashford. “We’re very thankful to Rashford for what he did last season, but our style of play matches Anthony better. The coach wants a certain intensity, and we saw that we lost some energy last season when Raphinha wasn’t playing,” he said.
He added, “We looked at many wingers, but signing from the Premier League is tough. Flick was clear about what he wanted, and we worked hard to make it happen.”
Back in June, Rashford met with England teammates, including Gordon, who shared what Rashford told him about Barca. “He told me how great the team spirit is there, which I’d already heard. I’m really excited to join them. He also gave me tips about the city and places to live. He’s a really kind guy,” Gordon said.
Gordon also talked about joining Barcelona, calling it the biggest club in the world. “I’m not just here to play; I want to win everything. To me, this is where my career really starts,” he said confidently.