Deco's surprise signing excites Flick: two assists in six minutes

Barcelona's sporting director Deco completed the surprise signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for 70 million euros, plus 10 million in variables, as his first deal. The English forward impressed in his debut with two assists in six minutes against Elche. Gordon was brought in to potentially replace Ferran Torres, whose value rose after scoring in the World Cup final against Argentina. The 2026-27 Barcelona squad now features faster, more intense attackers, though Gordon has less goal-scoring ability than the player he may succeed. Coach Hansi Flick currently prefers Hamza Aldelkarim and new captain Raphinha as center-forward, but still awaits a top striker signing like Julián Álvarez, Lautaro, or Mikautadze. Gordon and fellow signing Adeyemi, who scored his first league goal, are expected to add pace and pressure to Barcelona's attack.