Anthony Gordon was always going to leave Newcastle United this summer.That had long been the perception behind the scenes and, once Newcastle’s Champions League exit was sealed at the Camp Nou in March, any public pretence to the contrary evaporated.Some inside St James’ Park — speaking anonymously like several other sources consulted for this article so they could speak freely — had even come to the conclusion that he had to leave, for the benefit of both parties.But the pace of his exit, the rapid nature at which negotiations were concluded this week and his eventual destination were unexpected.Until Wednesday morning, the impression was that Bayern Munich were still the strong favourites to sign Gordon, having registered their interest last month and then begun club-to-club discussions in early May.Yet, despite multiple rounds of negotiations, Bayern did not materially advance on a deal — the Bundesliga champions had a valuation from which they simply would not deviate, and it fell short of Newcastle’s asking price. Barcelona swooped to seal a surprisingly swift transfer.While Newcastle hoped for a quick sale, and had preached quiet confidence that they would receive a suitable figure, Barcelona’s willingness to agree to a deal worth €80million (£69.4m; $93.1m), including largely achievable add-ons, less than a week after the Premier League campaign had ended was unanticipated externally. A sell-on clause was also included, while Newcastle and Barcelona will explore potential lucrative friendly opportunities in future summers.The Athletic reported last month that Chelsea were interested in Gordon, while Liverpool also kept a watching brief, having come close to signing the winger in June 2024. The Merseysiders insist Gordon was never a player they intended to pursue this summer, given Newcastle’s clear preference to sell him abroad and Gordon’s desire to move to Europe.Barcelona, however, were inclined to commit such a substantial outlay, almost three weeks before the transfer window officially opens. This was for three key reasons: the expectation they will have more room to manoeuvre within La Liga’s salary limit this year than next; a fear that Gordon’s value may rise if he excelled at this summer’s World Cup; and their desire not to be thwarted by the other elite European clubs who had registered an interest.Gordon is described by a source as a “special request” for Hansi Flick, with the manager taken by the attacker’s breathless display against Barcelona on Tyneside in September.Gordon got a consolation goal for Newcastle in their 2-1 Champions League defeat by Barca in September (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)Gordon’s arrival in Catalonia on a five-year deal negatively affects the prospect of England team-mate Marcus Rashford’s season-long loan at Barca being made permanent. Barcelona retain a €30million option to sign him from Manchester United until mid-June, though the chances of doing so have receded significantly.For Newcastle, replacing Gordon is a priority and, while the club are hopeful of making an addition before the World Cup begins on June 11, bringing in a suitable successor will be challenging. Gordon has distinct attributes — adaptability, raw pace and pressing capacity — and Newcastle are weighing up the profile they will target, with a first-XI-ready addition important. Multiple wingers, the majority based on the continent, have been tracked.For Newcastle, the swift sale of Gordon is the second part of their summer plan, following the uplifting news that Lewis Miley, the 20-year-old academy graduate, agreed a six-year contract extension on Monday.The hierarchy are determined to avoid the mistakes of last summer, when the Alexander Isak saga dragged on and, although Newcastle eventually extracted a British-record transfer fee of £125million from Liverpool, they torpedoed their own window in the process.Ross Wilson, the sporting director, and David Hopkinson, the CEO, are working in tandem — a contrast to last year, when there was no executive team — and are keen to “normalise” the sale of assets, believing they can do so in a better and smarter way, on their own terms, as part of a trading model. Offloading Gordon for such a price, and critically at such a juncture, gives Newcastle greater scope to invest during what will be a significant summer rebuild as they look to comply with UEFA’s strict financial rules moving forwards.Gordon continued to act professionally throughout — it was Howe’s decision to plan for the “future” and leave the winger out of Newcastle’s final four matches, with the player willing to be involved — but his desire to explore a move was known for months. The winger’s preference was to head abroad and he talked on the training ground about his keenness to play for Bayern.Eddie Howe and Anthony Gordon pictured on March 4 after victory over Manchester United (Stu Forster/Getty Images)The German club’s interest was genuine, even if Gordon was one of several winger targets alongside RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and FC Koln’s Said El Mala. Bayern viewed Gordon as a versatile attacker who could operate across the frontline, potentially becoming a long-term replacement for the injured Serge Gnabry, and they liked his mentality and emotional resilience.Newcastle held meetings with Bayern, including in London, and there was a wide expectation internally that Gordon would end up in Bavaria. But Bayern would not budge on their offers. That drew begrudging admiration from senior figures at Newcastle, who respected that they had a valuation and simply refused to move from it.A similar scenario unfolded last summer between Bayern and Stuttgart over Nick Woltemade, who eventually joined Newcastle for £64million. Bayern and Newcastle enjoy a positive relationship at executive level and discussions were amicable, despite several key figures at the German club having publicly criticised the Tynesiders for parting with such a fee for Woltemade.Bayern’s nonacceptance of Newcastle’s terms allowed Barcelona to proceed.The first reported meeting between Newcastle and Barcelona came on May 4, though the initial suggestion was that the La Liga champions would not have the economic capacity to conclude the signing.However, a senior Barcelona source insisted a deal was possible, that the club had liked Gordon “for a while” and explained that, economically, a €60-€70million outlay on the Newcastle winger would actually have a similar financial impact as spending €30m on a 28-year-old Rashford. Given Gordon is younger, he would be given a longer contract, meaning the fee would be amortised over more years, making it more manageable, and he has far greater sell-on value.While Gordon’s wages have also increased substantially following the move — he was among Newcastle’s highest earners, having signed an extension in October 2024 — sources at Barcelona insist his salary is significantly less than the up to £300,000 a week Rashford’s Manchester United contract is now worth following the club’s return to the Champions League.Club-to-club talks intensified earlier this week, with a bid lodged on Wednesday and then quickly accepted by Newcastle. Gordon flew to Catalonia for a medical on Thursday. The transfer was Official confirmation of the transfer arrived on Friday evening — albeit later than Barcelona originally hoped.