Barcelona’s decision to sign Anthony Gordon instead of making Marcus Rashford’s move permanent has been questioned following the club’s latest transfer activity.
The Spanish champions completed a big-money deal for Gordon this summer, reportedly paying £69.3 million (€80m) to secure the England winger.
However, Barcelona allowed Rashford’s permanent buy-option, believed to be worth around £26 million, to expire despite the forward enjoying a successful loan spell at Camp Nou last season.
Speaking exclusively to 10bet, former England and Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas admitted he was delighted to see Gordon earn a move to one of the world’s biggest clubs, but struggled to understand the financial logic behind Barcelona’s decision.
‘It doesn’t make sense’
“I wouldn’t say it makes sense, no. I love Anthony Gordon; I think he’s a top player and I’m so happy for him.
“I’m so pleased that he’s going to be able to go and experience life at Barcelona, one of the biggest football clubs on the planet.
“It’ll adapt his game, it will change his game and really help his development.”
Jenas then questioned why Barcelona chose not to retain Rashford after his successful spell in Spain.
“My understanding was that there was a clause where they could have picked up Rashford permanently for a fraction of what they ended up paying for Anthony Gordon – a player who had already been at the club on loan, had won La Liga there, so it just seemed to make more sense to stick with him.”
He added: “Now, whether the wages and the disparity in their wage demands were just chalk and cheese, I don’t know.
“But it still doesn’t quite add up when you look at the big money they’ve spent on Anthony Gordon.
“So I definitely wouldn’t say it makes total sense, because I don’t look at Anthony Gordon and think he’s that much better than Marcus Rashford, or vice versa.
“It felt like a financial decision in my head, unless there’s something behind the scenes that we don’t know.”
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Surprise over Nico Williams option
Jenas also revealed his surprise that Barcelona did not revisit a move for Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams.
“It was only a couple of seasons ago they were trying to sign Nico Williams to do that whole partnership on the wings with Lamine Yamal. You can easily see Nico having another incredible World Cup now, so I’m surprised that’s not a route Barcelona looked at instead.”
Arsenal told to pursue Rashford
With Rashford now back at Manchester United after the end of his loan spell, Jenas believes a fresh start would be best for the forward.
“I don’t think he should just go back to United to sit on the bench, and I don’t think Michael Carrick should automatically just force him back into the team either. I just think there comes a point where you have to move on.”
He continued: “Now that Marcus has experienced Barcelona, I think it’s probably a better move for him to leave England or find a fresh start, and I think Arsenal are crying out for someone with his attributes on that left-hand side.”
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