Mundo Deportivo: Deco kept it secret for months as Barcelona signed Gordon

According to Mundo Deportivo, in Barcelona's deal to sign Anthony Gordon, Deco's efforts to keep the operation confidential were described as perfect. Deco travelled to London in April to assess several options for strengthening the attack, including Joao Pedro and Gordon. But the instruction never changed: maintain maximum secrecy.

From the beginning, all parties involved followed the same principle: there could be absolutely no leaks. Any reports emerging prematurely could have made a deal that was already being conducted under maximum secrecy even more complicated.

Gordon's agents Will Salsos and Adam Dagdale also fully understood this. They did not view the requirement as a sign of a lack of progress, but instead understood that the demand for confidentiality showed Barcelona's interest was serious. Deco therefore adopted a new way of working. At the time, very few people truly knew how far the negotiations had progressed.

Here is the interesting part. Do you remember that Mundo Deportivo previously reported Anthony Gordon's agents had flown specifically to Barcelona to meet with Deco, Bojan Krkic and Alejandro Echevarria? That highly confidential meeting was far more significant than what the outside world could see at the time.

At that time, Gordon was widely viewed as one of the options on Barcelona's extensive recruitment list. It was difficult for outsiders to imagine Barcelona being willing to pay around 80 million euros for him. However, the club's internal assessment of him was completely different.

From a football perspective, Deco greatly admired the England winger—he even admitted this to one of the agents he trusted most. In Deco's view, Gordon's abilities went far beyond those of a winger, and he believed Gordon could also operate as a centre-forward. Deco paid particular attention to Gordon's performances drifting into central areas during his time at Newcastle United and admired his movement and ability to attack space.

Therefore, when Gordon's name emerged, some interpreted his arrival as potentially meaning Raphinha's departure. The reality was the opposite. Barcelona were not looking for a replacement for the Brazilian. What Deco wanted was a versatile attacking player who could play both wide and as a centre-forward.

Several weeks passed and Barcelona received numerous offers, including some major proposals, but Deco never changed his mind. Gordon remained his first choice, and the sporting management department continued to pursue his arrival with the same level of secrecy as at the beginning.