Barcelona's questionable signing turns into a headache for rivals

Gordon's move to Barcelona this summer made him only the second English player to join the Catalan club on a permanent transfer, following the legendary Gary Lineker, who wore the Barcelona shirt in 1986.

The deal came surrounded by question marks. Barcelona paid around £70 million for a player who had shown some inconsistency during his spell in the Premier League, despite his striking brilliance in the Champions League.

Newcastle finished the season twelfth in the Premier League. Gordon scored only six goals and provided two assists in 26 matches, with three of those goals coming from penalties.

Legitimate questions arose over whether he could move straight into Barcelona's starting line-up and cope with the immense pressure of wearing the shirt of one of the biggest clubs in the world.

A few months before his move, though, Gordon had already caught an early glimpse of the life awaiting him in Spain.

Newcastle visited Barcelona's stadium in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. The English side suffered a harsh 7-2 defeat, making the aggregate score 8-3 in Barcelona's favour.

Brutal as the result was, that night gave Gordon an early taste of the stadium that would later become his new home, almost a prelude to what awaited him months later.

Most importantly, his European numbers looked nothing like his domestic tally. In the Champions League, Gordon scored 10 goals in 12 matches, raising his level whenever he faced the continent's biggest sides.

Only two men outscored him in the competition: Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, with 15 goals, and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane, who scored 14.

Gordon settled into Hansi Flick's system in no time, becoming an influential figure in the Catalan attack. His characteristics fit Barcelona's style perfectly.

Pace, directness, movement in behind, an eye for the spaces: all of it hands him a clear edge on the left wing, the spot Marcus Rashford so often filled last season on loan at Barcelona.

Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, faced questions over why he chose Gordon ahead of Rashford. His answer left little room for doubt. The Englishman's style suits what the coaching staff want.

According to Deco, Gordon's game matches the coach's ideas, and the opening matches of the new season have started to bear that out on the pitch.

Gordon himself has made no secret of how at ease he feels since arriving. He calls the city wonderful, credits his teammates with making him feel at home, and reckons his level will only rise the longer he stays with the club.

Gordon mostly operates on the left, but he refuses to stay anchored to one spot. He can hug the touchline to isolate the opposing full-back one-on-one, he can dart in behind the defensive line, or he can drift inside to link up with teammates in central areas.

That flexibility hands Flick an extra weapon in the final third, particularly alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. His movement off the ball prises open spaces for others, and his pace turns possession into genuine danger.

The influence goes beyond his moments on the ball. He wants to press the moment possession is lost, a trait that sits perfectly with Flick's philosophy.

Flick explained that a forward naturally wants to score goals, and that Gordon had already been handed a few chances and wasted them. In return, though, he delivered the final pass that helped create goals, something the German coach values enormously.

The match against Elche told Barcelona's fans plenty about Gordon's character. On his first La Liga appearance, the English winger created two goals in just four minutes, the perfect way to begin his Catalan adventure.

He could have scored his first goal in a Barcelona shirt when he found himself one-on-one with the Elche goalkeeper. Instead, the winger made a decision that revealed plenty about his mentality.

Rather than shoot for personal glory and a debut goal, he squared the ball across the face of goal to Fermin Lopez, who had no trouble tapping it into the net.

The individual option was there. Gordon chose the one that served the team. He said afterwards that victory was the only aim, and that the team's interests always come first, especially at a club of Barcelona's stature.

That moment carried a message to the fans. Gordon is no chaser of personal numbers or the limelight. He does what serves the group and drives the team towards success.

Gordon's strong start was no accident. Flick's side began the season with a stunning attacking display, scoring 22 goals in the first five matches while conceding only three.

Never have Barcelona attacked with such menace this early under Flick, who took charge in May 2024. And the brilliance flows from more than one player.

Raphinha leads the scoring chart with eight goals, with Lamine Yamal on five. But Gordon has begun to prove that his impact does not hinge on finding the net.

He bursts in behind defenders. He presses relentlessly, occupies space and carves out chances, handing Barcelona a wealth of options in the final third.

Hugging the touchline, he forces the full-back to drop back. He can attack the space behind the defence or drift inside to create a numerical advantage close to goal.

Lose the ball, and Gordon turns pressing weapon in an instant, helping the team win it back high up the pitch.

Five matches in, it's far too early to deliver a final verdict on Gordon's time at Barcelona. The season is long. Holding the same pace, energy and focus across months of competition will be an entirely different challenge.

Four goals and four assists, or even just a bright start, don't wipe away every question hanging over the deal. But one thing is certain: the question has clearly changed.

Before his move, the debate centred on whether Gordon could cut it at Barcelona, and whether the club had overpaid to land him. Now it has shifted to something more intriguing. Just how important a player can Gordon become in Flick's project?

Those five matches gave Catalan supporters genuine reasons for optimism. The English winger is still waiting on his first goal, but he threads decisive passes, makes runs, presses, opens up spaces and puts the team ahead of personal glory.

He still has plenty to prove. Even so, Gordon looks to have started writing a new chapter at Barcelona, one that could turn a deal which first raised doubts into one of the most influential of the season.