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Gordon shows off Spanish skills at unveiling! | 'As a kid I believed I would play for Barca'
How could Barca afford Gordon signing?
Analysis by Your Site News' Lyall Thomas:
The 69.3m signing of Anthony Gordon and the big-money pursuit of Julian Alvarez have raised questions about how Barcelona can afford such expenditure.
The Spanish giants were unable to register new signings until the last minute a year ago, but now they seem to have an abundance of cash for three key positions: striker, winger, and centre-back.
The financial rules around how much clubs can spend in Spain works slightly differently to the UK; yes, it is based on revenue and a squad-cost ratio, but they are set by LaLiga on a bespoke basis.
The key to Barcelonas ability to spend now is a return to what is called the 1:1 rule; every Euro Barcelona save can be reinvested directly back into the squad on either transfer fees or wages. It was not the case before, when just a fraction of anything saved could be re-spent.
Another crucial change is that Robert Lewandowski has left the club and so they are now saving around 40m a year in wages, while they are also currently not having to factor in covering any of Marcus Rashfords wages next season.
That might change, but Barcelona are also looking to sell some players, too, which will free up more finances. They offered Ferran Torres, for example, informally to Atletico as they seek a solution to signing Alvarez.
But it is not just the vacation of previously allotted funds that has changed things it is also increased revenue due from the growth of the Spotify Nou Camp. The stadium has been renovated and will soon reach a new capacity of 80,000 while the final capacity is expected to be more than 100,000.
That projected future revenue, as well as the sponsorship from Spotify, as well as winning LaLiga again, is all factored in when the budget for Barcelonas spending is set by the league and means they have money to throw at some exciting players this summer.
Gordon explains why he speaks Spanish
Anthony Gordon speaking at his Barcelona unveiling:
"I wanted to speak Spanish because, as I kid, I believed I would play for Barca, believe it or not.
"I have a physio in Newcastle and we spoke every day and I told him that one day I would play for Barca, so I wanted to learn Spanish."
Gordon: Barca have the best players in the world
Anthony Gordon speaking at his Barcelona unveiling:
"To play with Lamine [Yamal] and the rest of the players is very exciting for me.
"I think the more players with quality around you, the better you are going to be.
"These players are at the very top level for a reason. They are the best players in the world.
"They have so much quality; when we [Newcastle] played them at St James' Park, we could not touch the ball."
Gordon: I'm more excited after speaking to Flick
Anthony Gordon speaking at his Barcelona unveiling:
"Yes, I spoke with Hansi Flick. I was already excited, but after speaking to him, I'm even more excited.
"He seems like a very nice person, an amazing man-manager.
"What's done at Barca in a very short time has been amazing. He's brought the club so much success."
Gordon: A dream come true to join Barcelona
Anthony Gordon speaking at his Barcelona unveiling:
"As soon as I knew Barca was a serious option, there was never any question.
"I always wanted Barca. Barca is the biggest club on the planet.
"It's the stuff I dreamed of as a child. It really is a dream come true to be here.
"I know it comes with a lot of responsibility, but I'm ready for this kind of challenge.
"I know the players in the past who've worn the shirt... it holds a lot of weight, but I'm excited for the challenge."
