Finalizing one of the fastest-to-complete transfers in recent memory, Anthony Gordon is now an FC Barcelona player after joining the Catalans in a reported $93 million deal with Newcastle United.
Tied down until 2031, Gordon had to wait eight hours for his unveiling, with Barça giving members of the press that had been there since midday at the Joan Gamper CT headquarters burgers and fries to tame their hunger.
When he finally took to the stage in the evening with a Gordon 2031 Blaugrana shirt, however, the suited 25-year-old impressed both the media and Culers with the way he spoke.
“I always wanted Barça. It’s the biggest club on the planet. It’s the stuff I dreamed of as a child. It really is a dream come true,” Gordon said.
He then showed off impressive Spanish fluency and was asked why this was the case.
“I wanted to speak Spanish because as a kid I believed I would play for Barça, believe it or not,” he said.
“I hac a [Spanish] physio in Newcastle and we spoke every day, and I told him one day I’ll play for Barça, so I want to learn Spanish. So that’s how I speak some.”
Anthony Gordon seems to understand FC Barcelona as a club
It wasn’t just that, however, that endeared Gordon to Catalans. He had a go at their language by saying “Estic molt feliç”, which SPORT’s Carlos Montfort liked in particular.
“Anthony Gordon leaves Barcelona fans speechless: after answering questions in perfect Spanish at the press conference, he also ventures into Catalan,” Montfort noted.
“’I’m very happy’, says the new Barça winger after signing his contract until 2031,” Montfort added.
Claiming to be a fan since he was three, Gordon showed that he understands Barça as a club and institution.
Twitter grinches moaned that he’d not learned Catalan if he was so serious about donning Blaugrana. But it must be noted that Castellano, or Spanish, is the most commonly spoken language in the locker room which unites Catalans, players such as Gavi and Pedri from other parts of Spain, and foreigners.
Anthony Gordon is well aware that Catalan is important in his new home, though, and could follow the lead of Femeni star Kika Nazareth by making an effort that will not go unnoticed in the region.