Anthony Gordon lands indirect dig at former Newcastle team-mates as he makes comparison

Barcelona's players have already made a big impression on Anthony Gordon just months into his time with the club

Less than six months have passed since Anthony Gordon left Newcastle United but he already appears to have put his foot in his mouth with a former team-mate. Gordon joined Barcelona shortly before the World Cup and has been waxing lyrical about his new colleagues.

One player who has already made a big impression on the England international is Pedri. However, in hailing the playmaking ability of the former Las Palmas star, Gordon appeared to indirectly point out the limitations of those who played with him at St James' Park.

“I’ve made many runs throughout my career that no one saw, but now I have Pedri, who sees absolutely everything," Gordon told Sport. “Adapting has been relatively easy because at Newcastle we already played a similar style – pressing hard and attacking with the team pushed high up the pitch.

“With the ball as well, now I play surrounded by some of the best footballers in the world. The best Barca side I’ve ever seen is Pep Guardiola's – the one that won the Champions League with players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta. I want this team to be remembered forever.”

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Gordon played with a number of top midfielders during his three-and-a-half years in Newcastle. Among them were Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, who left for a combined £175million over the summer.

However, while the indication that no one saw as much as Pedri might be read as a criticism, others might see it as an indication that the Spain international is one of a kind. Gordon's compatriot Paul Scholes is another big fan, suggesting in 2025 that Pedri was becoming his new favourite player, and Barca boss Hansi Flick opened up on how much that meant to the 23-year-old.

"When you're an attacking player, you're more in the spotlight," Flick said in September 2025. "What Scholes says means a lot; he was a great midfielder.

"Pedri is at an incredible level, as is Frenkie [de Jong]. I'm very happy with what I see in training, the quality with which we train... the mood is fantastic. You can see that. This mood helps us keep going."

Barcelona would go on to win the 2025/26 La Liga title by an eight point margin over closest challengers Real Madrid. They also eliminated Newcastle from the Champions League with an 8-3 aggregate victory but were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Gordon was one of several summer additions made ahead of what Barca hope will be a successful title defence. The winger, who was joined by the likes of Rodri and Karim Adeyemi at Spotify Camp Nou, has delivered five assists in his first seven appearances for his new club.

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