Barcelona and Newcastle have agreed a fee of more than £69million for the transfer of England international Anthony Gordon, it is understood.
Sources on Tyneside have indicated that the Catalan giants have moved quickly in their pursuit of the 25-year-old after it emerged that they had opened talks with the Magpies.
It is understood the Spanish champions have agreed to pay the Premier League club in excess of €80million – around £69.3m – to get their hands on a player they saw at close hand in the Champions League this season.
That news will come as a blow to Bayern Munich, who also coveted Gordon, as well as a series of other suitors.
It will also see the Magpies boost their coffers with a significant profit on the £45m they paid Everton in January 2023 at a time when they are looking to rebuild after a disappointing campaign.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has acknowledged in recent weeks there is a possibility that Gordon, who has been named in England boss Thomas Tuchel's squad for the World Cup, could leave the club this summer.
Speculation over the player has been rife for two seasons and his list of suitors extended to more than just two of European football’s biggest clubs, with Liverpool long-term admirers.
Gordon (above) has been a key figure in Newcastle’s return to prominence in recent seasons and his attacking partnership with Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool for £130m last summer, and Jacob Murphy proved fruitful.
His form was one of the driving forces in the run which helped the club end their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy with the 2024-25 Carabao Cup title, although he did not play in the final because of suspension.
However, amid repeated speculation that he could leave Tyneside, Gordon’s influence has waned somewhat this season despite a return of 17 goals, 10 of them – including one against Barca – in the Champions League.
As the rumour mill went into full swing with the end of the campaign approaching, Howe decided to leave the player out of his team on his return from injury, citing the need to focus on the future.
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