British media: Newcastle received Barcelona's first Gordon transfer payment as scheduled

According to British media outlet Chronicle Live, Newcastle United have received the first installment of the transfer fee paid by Barcelona for Anthony Gordon as scheduled, despite previous reports from Spanish media claiming that Barcelona had planned to delay part of the payment.

On May 29 this year, Barcelona and Newcastle reached an agreement over Gordon's transfer. The England international joined the La Liga champions for a fixed fee of £69 million plus add-on clauses.

Previously, Spanish media outlet El Desmarque reported that Barcelona had originally hoped to delay a short-term payment of £18.88 million until June 2027, and claimed that Barcelona later reached a new agreement with Newcastle, paying £38 million in the first installment and making a second payment later to bring the fixed transfer fee total to £69 million.

However, Chronicle Live learned that the actual situation was not as reported. Newcastle received the first payment according to the original schedule, with the funds arranged by Barcelona through financing.

The report stated that if Barcelona did have a delayed repayment situation, the relevant debt would more likely be a repayment arrangement formed after financing from banks, rather than an unpaid transfer fee owed to Newcastle. Newcastle and Barcelona did not renegotiate the payment plan, and Barcelona are not currently behind on transfer payments to Newcastle.

In addition to the £69 million fixed transfer fee, Newcastle could receive up to £8.5 million in add-ons in the future if the 25-year-old Gordon plays at least 60% of matches in each season and helps Barcelona win trophies.

Gordon made significant progress during his three-and-a-half seasons at Newcastle. After joining Barcelona, he has made an impressive start to this season, providing five assists in his first five appearances.

For England, Gordon has replaced Marcus Rashford as an important option on the left side, and he has also taken Rashford's place in Barcelona's squad. Rashford returned to Manchester United this summer after spending last season on loan at Barcelona.

Asked why Barcelona chose Gordon instead of keeping Rashford, Barcelona sporting director Deco said: "We are very grateful to Rashford, he made many contributions for the team last season, but our football philosophy is more compatible with Anthony's characteristics. His style better matches the type of player the coach is looking for."

"For Gordon, we believe he is one of the players the team needs. When Raphinha is not on the pitch, the team loses some energy, and Gordon can help us solve this problem."

Deco also said: "Our biggest advantage is that the player himself really wanted to join, and he was also able to put pressure on Newcastle (to push for permission to leave)."