Newcastle got deal done just in time as England media roast Anthony Gordon display – verdict

Newcastle United are extremely fortunate to have sealed the sale of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona before the 2026 World Cup, as the winger is exposed against Ghana.

The 25-year-old made the switch to the Catalan club for £69.3million at the end of May, becoming one of the Magpies’ biggest-ever sales.

This was despite the England international being very hit and miss throughout the 2025-26 campaign, with his best performances mainly reserved for the Champions League.

Now, his lack of consistent attacking threat has been exposed on the world stage as Gordon heavily struggled in England’s 0-0 draw against Ghana on Tuesday, drawing plenty criticism from the media.

The winger struggled to create anything in attack and was often thwarted by the West African side’s stubborn defence.

As a result, Newcastle’s decision to sell Gordon before the start of the World Cup could have saved them millions.

Anthony Gordon struggles vs Ghana

On the face of it, Newcastle’s decision to sell Gordon before the start of the World Cup seemed ill-timed.

The winger could have easily gone on to have a stellar few months in the US, Mexico and Canada, which could have added millions onto his price tag.

However, the Magpies’ decision now seems justified as Gordon looked nothing like a nearly £70m player on Tuesday before he was eventually hauled off.

The English media were also far from impressed, with The Guardian on 23 June awarding the winger a 4/10 before stating: “Clever dummy early on to start a move, but little else of substance. Place must be seriously under pressure.”

Therefore, everything indicates that Newcastle completed the sale just in time.

How bad was Gordon vs Ghana?

According to Fotmob on 24 June, Gordon was poor but not awful against Ghana.

The winger did manage to create two chances, have one shot on target, complete 91 per cent of his passes, complete two dribbles and win six ground duels.

However, he was also dispossessed twice, did not put an accurate cross into the box and committed one foul.

Going into the Panama game, Gordon’s position in the starting XI is now under serious threat.

However, it remains to be seen if he has done enough to convince Thomas Tuchel to give him a second chance as England look to win their group.