Sorry, Marcus! Deco explains why Barcelona ditched Man Utd star Rashford to complete £59m Anthony Gordon transfer

Rashford enjoyed a productive loan spell in Catalonia last season. The Manchester United forward scored 14 goals, helping Barcelona lift both the La Liga title and the Spanish Supercup. Despite this success, the Spanish champions ultimately decided against triggering a €30m (£26m) option to secure his services on a permanent basis.

Instead, the Blaugrana launched an ambitious €70m (£59m) move to sign Gordon from Newcastle. The 25-year-old winger was identified as a superior tactical fit for the new regime, arriving as part of a busy summer recruitment drive that also saw Rodri, Joao Cancelo, Karim Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus, and Dominik Livakovic head to the Camp Nou.

Speaking to RAC1, Deco shed light on the difficult decision to let Rashford return to England. "We are extremely grateful to Rashford," the sporting director stated. "He contributed a lot last season, but our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony. His style fits with what the coach is looking for."

The former Portugal international elaborated on the reasoning behind pursuing Gordon, pointing to a lack of spark in the squad during previous campaigns. "We see every training session and analyse the team," Deco added. "We have a clear idea what we're looking for. One of the areas we struggled last season, without Raphinha, was that the team's energy dropped. It was lost.

"We needed more intensity. We analysed a lot of wingers. Signing someone from the Premier League is almost impossible, but [Flick] was clear with what he wanted and we worked on a deal from there."

While Gordon arrived to inject dynamism, another high-profile target slipped through the net. Bernardo Silva ultimately opted to join fierce Clasico rivals Real Madrid. The breakdown in talks with the former Manchester City captain was largely down to guarantees over minutes rather than purely financial constraints.

"He wasn't what we were looking for in the end," Deco explained. "I love him. He's one of the best in the world in his position. He wanted to come to Barça, but things didn't move forward because we have certain parameters. It wasn't just a financial issue, it was also about playing time."

Deco stressed that playing guarantees remain strictly under Flick's jurisdiction, adding: "It's not up to me to say if he is going to play or not, that's the coach's decision. But he had a different perception to us after playing [regularly] at City. He wanted to play."

Gordon is already making a noticeable impact in Spain. Although he has yet to find the back of the net, the England international has registered five assists across his opening five appearances for the club, equalling a La Liga record.

He has quickly endeared himself to the Camp Nou faithful, drawing vocal support and having his name chanted by supporters during a commanding 5-2 triumph over Rayo Vallecano. Flick will rely on his energetic forward to maintain this rich vein of creative form as Barcelona push for further domestic and European glory this season.