Anthony Gordon transfer to Barcelona was shaped by Deco’s quiet London mission

Barcelona’s signing of Anthony Gordon was completed through a discreet transfer operation led by sporting director Deco, with negotiations kept out of the public eye for weeks.

The deal was the first major example of the new approach Barcelona wanted to adopt in the transfer market: working in complete silence and avoiding leaks. Everyone involved respected that principle, as any premature report could have complicated an agreement handled with the utmost secrecy, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.

Gordon’s agents, Will Salthouse and Adam Dodd, understood the importance Barcelona placed on confidentiality. They viewed the request for secrecy as evidence that the club’s interest in the England international was serious.

Deco had begun exploring attacking options early. On 21 April, he travelled to London to assess several possibilities, including Joao Pedro and Gordon.

At that stage, Barcelona’s priority was to ensure that the talks remained confidential. A meeting in Barcelona involving Gordon’s representatives, Deco, Bojan Krkic and Alejandro Echevarria was also conducted discreetly, although its significance was not immediately apparent.

Gordon was publicly listed among a long group of potential targets, making it difficult to imagine at the time that Barcelona would be prepared to pay approximately 80m euros for him. Internally, however, Deco’s assessment was considerably more positive.

The sporting director was highly impressed by Gordon and considered him capable of offering more than a traditional wide role. Deco believed he could also operate as a central striker, while paying particular attention to his movement from deeper positions at Newcastle and his ability to attack space.

That meant Barcelona’s interest was not dependent on the departure of Raphinha, as some had suggested. Even though a number of players and proposals emerged in the following weeks, Deco did not change his position and Gordon remained his preferred option.

Deco subsequently presented Gordon’s name to manager Hansi Flick during one of their regular meetings. After examining the player, Flick approved the move and spoke directly with Gordon.

That conversation helped strengthen the conviction of both sides in the project. Deco also held several discussions with the player, while maintaining regular contact with Salthouse and Dodd. It was at that point that the negotiations began to advance decisively.

The crucial moment came on 26 May, when Deco returned to London. Much of the attention was focused on Joao Pedro, who was already one of Barcelona’s attacking options, but the main purpose of Deco’s trip was to complete Gordon’s transfer.

The sporting director held the decisive meeting with Salthouse and Dodd, finalising the details of negotiations that had continued away from the spotlight for several weeks. He returned to Barcelona with the agreement concluded.

Months later, Gordon had become one of the biggest surprises of the opening part of the season. For a large section of Spanish football supporters, he had been an unfamiliar name before adapting quickly to life at Barcelona.

The England forward demonstrated his ability to press from the wing, create chances and score goals. He also adjusted rapidly to Flick’s demands, beginning to support Deco’s belief that he could contribute in several positions and perform a variety of roles.

The operation therefore began quietly in London on 21 April and was completed during Deco’s return to the English capital on 26 May, while attention remained fixed on Joao Pedro. Barcelona had secured Gordon without the noise of a public transfer saga; the player then began creating the headlines on the pitch.