Barcelona, after the agreement for Anthony Gordon, must resolve the Marcus Rashford question, Robertson chooses Tottenham
Barcelona has, according to available information from Spanish and British sources, further accelerated its plans for the summer transfer window with an agreement over the arrival of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United. The deal has not yet been officially confirmed on the clubs' channels, but several reports published on May 28, 2026 state that the agreement between Barcelona and Newcastle is in its final stage and that the England international should become one of the most high-profile reinforcements for the Catalan club for the 2026/27 season. This also directly opens the question of the future of Marcus Rashford, who is at Barcelona on loan from Manchester United until June 30, 2026.
According to Barcelona's official announcement from July 2025, the agreement with Manchester United for Rashford includes a loan until the end of the season and a purchase option. British and European media described that option during the season as a clause worth around 30 million euros, or approximately 26 million pounds. Barcelona now has to decide whether it wants to exercise that possibility, negotiate different terms, or allow Rashford to return to Manchester United after the loan expires. Gordon's arrival makes that decision considerably more complex because both players most naturally cover the left side of the attack, although they can also play in other attacking positions.
Gordon as a strategic reinforcement, but also as a signal of changing priorities
The Spanish newspaper El País reported on May 28 that Barcelona had closed the deal for Gordon with a transfer fee of 70 million euros and an additional 10 million euros through bonuses, while other sources had earlier stated that the club had started with an offer in a similar financial framework. According to those reports, sporting director Deco wants to conclude the deal before the competition becomes more active, especially because Gordon has also been linked with Liverpool and Bayern in recent weeks. There is no official confirmation from Barcelona or Newcastle, so the transfer must still be treated as a deal awaiting formalization, a medical examination and the clubs' announcement.
Gordon is the profile of player who fits well into what Hansi Flick asks of wide attackers. According to official Premier League data, he is a right-footed English forward born on February 24, 2001, who wears number 10 for Newcastle and has more than 170 Premier League appearances in his career. He is a player who attacks space, likes to move from the left side toward the middle, but at the same time can stretch the play and press the opponent's back line. In Flick's model, in which intensity, quick ball progression and aggressive reaction after losing possession are especially important, such a profile has obvious value.
For Barcelona, however, the financial and squad-planning question is equally important. In recent years the club has often had to operate within the strict registration and budgetary restrictions of Spanish football, so every expensive reinforcement automatically affects other decisions. If Gordon arrives as a major investment for the left side of the attack, it is logical that Rashford's role, salary and purchase price are being reassessed. In such a setup, Barcelona is not deciding only about one player, but about the balance of the entire attacking line for the next season.
Rashford has the numbers, but also an uncertain role
Rashford's stay at Barcelona cannot be reduced only to the question of market value. According to Barcelona's official website, the English forward recorded 49 appearances for the club in the 2025/26 season, with 14 goals and 11 assists. Those are numbers that show he was not a marginal member of the squad and that he made a concrete contribution in the attacking part of the game. When he arrived, Barcelona described him as a player who can play in several attacking positions, attack opponents one-on-one and finish moves, which he also showed during the season in different matches.
Still, the question of staying does not depend only on performance. Rashford came to Barcelona as a Manchester United player, and the loan agreement formally ends on June 30, 2026. According to Barcelona's official announcement, the club has a purchase option, but it is not an obligation. Deco had earlier stressed for Mundo Deportivo, according to several international media reports, that it was a simple loan with an option, with no additional penalty if Barcelona decides not to activate the purchase. That is precisely why the Catalan club has room for a tactical decision, but also the responsibility to make it before the market accelerates further.
Gordon's arrival also changes the sporting context. If Flick counts on Gordon next season as the primary option on the left wing, Rashford would have to fight for minutes on the same side, move into the centre of the attack or cover the right flank, depending on the state of the rest of the squad. That can make sense in a season with a large number of matches, but only if the financial terms and the player's expectations match the role. Barcelona must assess whether it can maintain enough space in the same squad for Gordon, Rashford, Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski and the other attacking options, without disrupting the balance of the dressing room and the budget.
Hansi Flick's wider plan depends on registrations and the market
During the season, Flick used different attacking combinations at Barcelona, and club announcements and reports from the closing stage of the season showed that in certain matches he had to balance form, injuries and caution with players' workloads. In such a context, squad depth has great value, but Barcelona cannot pile up expensive profiles without a clear hierarchy. Gordon would, if the transfer is confirmed, represent a longer-term investment in a player who is only entering the best years of his career. Rashford, on the other hand, brings experience, already knows the dressing room and has a season of adaptation behind him.
According to available reports, Barcelona is also considering other needs alongside the wing position, including a centre-forward and a centre-back. That further narrows the space for a decision on Rashford. If the club directs a significant part of the budget toward Gordon, the remaining funds and registration capacity will have to be distributed across other lines of the team. Such a situation usually leads to negotiations in which the purchase option may be reduced, the loan extended, or the deal abandoned completely if priorities change.
Manchester United has its own interest in all of this. Rashford is contractually still its player, so a return from loan would not necessarily mean a long-term stay at Old Trafford. If Barcelona does not activate the option, United could bring him back for pre-season, look for another buyer or open new negotiations with the Catalan club under different terms. According to reports from England, Newcastle has been mentioned in some combinations as a possible destination for Rashford if Gordon leaves St James' Park, but such information has not yet received official confirmation from the clubs.
Robertson rejected Juventus and moved closer to Tottenham
While Barcelona is resolving the attacking part of its squad, Tottenham is, according to British reports, on the verge of bringing in Andy Robertson. This Is Anfield reported on May 28 that the Scottish left-back had reached a verbal agreement with Tottenham after rejecting late interest from Juventus. Similar information was also reported by other media, with the note that Robertson should arrive as a free agent after the expiry of his contract with Liverpool. As with Gordon, the deal cannot be considered fully completed until the clubs officially confirm it, but the available reports indicate that Tottenham has the advantage.
Liverpool officially announced on April 9 that Robertson would leave the club at the end of the 2025/26 season, after nine very successful years at Anfield. The club stated that the Scottish captain was ending a period in which he became one of the most important players of Liverpool's modern era. Liverpool's official announcements emphasized that Robertson won the most important domestic and European trophies with the club, including the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the League Cup. Coach Arne Slot publicly paid tribute to him, describing him as a great player and an important person for the club.
Robertson's statistics further explain why he is still of interest to major clubs. According to official Premier League data, he has 332 appearances, 12 goals and 60 assists in the English top flight, which places him among the most productive defenders in the history of the competition. Although he is entering the later phase of his career, experience, the habit of playing under pressure and the ability to join the attack are still qualities that can help a team seeking stability on the left side of defence. With his arrival, Tottenham would get a player who knows the Premier League, the rhythm of big matches and the demands of top-level football.
Tottenham is looking for experience for a new phase of the team
Tottenham's interest in Robertson does not look like an isolated move, but like part of an attempt to assemble the squad early for the new season. According to British media, Tottenham had already been monitoring the Scottish defender's situation earlier, and the verbal agreement became more realistic after it was confirmed that he would leave Liverpool without a transfer fee. For a club that wants to strengthen its squad quickly, a free transfer of a player with Robertson's experience can be particularly attractive, even if it must account for a significant salary and a shorter sporting horizon than with younger reinforcements.
Juventus' late attempt shows that Robertson still carries market weight outside England. The Italian club is looking for solutions for the wide defensive positions and, according to reports from Italy and England, tried to take advantage of the fact that Robertson is leaving as a free agent. Still, the available information says that the player gave priority to staying in the Premier League and to Tottenham's project. Such a decision would be understandable given that Robertson built a large part of his career precisely in English football, where he would not have to go through a complete adaptation to a new league.
For Tottenham, this is also a message of ambition. After a season in which, according to British media reports, changes and reassessments took place at the club, an early agreement for an experienced player can help stabilize the squad. Robertson is not a long-term solution in terms of age, but he can bring leadership, professional standards and competitive sharpness. In a team with younger players, such a profile often has value that is not seen only in statistics, but also in daily work, positioning and game management.
English players at the centre of the early summer market
Gordon, Rashford and Robertson show how important the English market and Premier League players will be in the summer transfer window of 2026. Barcelona is trying to seize the opportunity to strengthen its attack with a player from Newcastle, but at the same time it has to resolve the status of a forward who is already in its squad on loan from Manchester United. Tottenham, on the other hand, is targeting a player who is leaving Liverpool without a transfer fee and who could immediately enter the rotation at left-back. In both cases, the clubs are trying to complete part of the business early, before the market becomes more complicated and before prices rise.
For Barcelona, the key decision will be the relationship between sporting performance and financial sustainability. Rashford has an output that can be defended with numbers, but Gordon's expected arrival changes the space in the squad and sends a clear message about priorities. For Tottenham, Robertson's possible signing will be a different kind of deal: less spectacular in terms of transfer fee, but important because of the experience and status of the player. Both cases confirm that the transfer window no longer opens only on the official dates, but months earlier through negotiations, verbal agreements and preparation of space in the squad.
Caution remains necessary until official announcements are made. Barcelona still has to confirm Gordon's transfer and explain what it will do with Rashford's purchase option, while Tottenham and Robertson need to formalize the agreement that is currently being described as verbal. But the direction is already visible: major clubs want to lock down key positions as soon as possible, and English names are once again at the centre of the most important transfer-window stories. In the coming weeks, most attention will be paid to whether Barcelona will activate Rashford's option or open space for his return to Manchester United, and when Tottenham will officially present Robertson as a new reinforcement.
Sources:
- FC Barcelona – official announcement on the loan of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United until June 30, 2026 and the purchase option (link)
- FC Barcelona – official player page for Marcus Rashford with statistics for the 2025/26 season (link)
- El País – report on the agreement between Barcelona and Newcastle United for the transfer of Anthony Gordon (link)
- Premier League – official Anthony Gordon profile with basic information and statistics (link)
- Liverpool FC – official announcement that Andy Robertson is leaving the club after the 2025/26 season (link)
- Premier League – official Andy Robertson statistics in the Premier League (link)
- This Is Anfield – report on Robertson's verbal agreement with Tottenham and rejection of Juventus interest (link)