England winger Anthony Gordon was presented as a Barcelona player on Friday night following his transfer from Newcastle United.
The 25-year-old appeared at the club's unveiling in Barcelona in a suit, and answered reporters' questions initially in English before continuing in Spanish and speaking briefly in Catalan. Barcelona announced the signing on Friday, a day after Gordon travelled to the city on Thursday to complete his medical.
Gordon linked his language skills directly to a childhood ambition. He told the press conference he began learning Spanish because he believed he would one day play for Barcelona, a club he said he wanted to join since he was three years old.
He said daily conversations with a Spanish physiotherapist at Newcastle helped him practice, and that he repeatedly told the physio of his plan to move to Catalonia. "I wanted to speak Spanish because as a kid I believed I would play for Barça, believe it or not," he said. "I was excited to play for Barça when I was three years of age."
The forward has signed a five-year contract with Barcelona through to 30 June 2031. The club did not disclose a fee, but British media reported the deal at about £69.3 million, around €80 million including add-ons.
His first press conference was delayed by almost nine hours while lawyers completed what Gordon described as "legal things and very small details." He said he has won only one trophy with Newcastle and now wants to win at Barcelona, naming the Champions League as his main target.