The signing of Anthony Gordon was one of the most frantic remembered at Can Barça until yesterday when the pace suddenly slowed down. The agreement was closed on Wednesday, he landed in Barcelona on Thursday to undergo the medical examination, but on Friday, when he was scheduled to sign the contract and be presented in the commercial area of Spotify Camp Nou, everything slowed down. Suddenly.
Read more Trump, gathered at the White House to make a «final determination» on Iran
The 25-year-old English winger signed until 2031 with Barcelona, which pays 70 million plus 10 in variables to Newcastle. But he did so with quite a bit of suspense.
The announcement slowed down
The signing of the English winger was delayed more than seven hours due to problems with the transfer and lawyers
All the speed with which the first steps were taken turned into pause and slowness.
The bureaucratic details put up many obstacles and, although the operation was never at risk, it did cause it to be prolonged more than desired both by the Blaugrana club and for the interests of the player, who was at the hotel where he spent Thursday night, waiting to be called to present himself in the office of president Rafa Yuste. In the end, it was almost at dinner time.
The dizzying pace of the signing suffered a delay on Friday morning when it came to putting the fine print of the agreement on paper between the player’s lawyers, some in England and others empowered in Barcelona, and those of the Barcelona club. The transfer took time and fiscal matters were also handled with great care.
An old desire, within reach
The club accelerates for Bernardo Silva awaiting Flick’s approval for his incorporation
Meanwhile, the sports leadership, formed by Deco and Bojan Krkic, and the elected president, Joan Laporta, chose to leave the facilities to have lunch hoping that the matter would finally be resolved. The private signing event was initially scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and ended up taking place at 8:15 p.m. Although sources from the Barcelona club insisted that there was never any risk that the signing would fall through.
In fact, the player himself had prepared some words for his presentation and even requested that his contact with the press take place on the pitch of Spotify Camp Nou, but understood that the construction works discouraged that circumstance.
The speed of the operation is also due to the fact that the player has to join the English national team soon to start preparation for the World Cup, where he debuts on June 17 against Croatia in Dallas.
While the signing of Anthony Gordon was being closed, another name appeared on the Barça technical secretariat’s table: Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese is an old desire of Barcelona, which tried several times to sign him without success. The interest goes back a long way and this time it may materialize. The big difference with previous years is that the player, after nine seasons, is free from Manchester City and can choose his future without ties.
According to the newspaper A Bola, the offensive midfielder’s desire is to play at Barcelona. The player had also been in contact with Atlético de Madrid but prioritizes playing at Camp Nou and at a club that has had his heart for years. In that sense, to fulfill his dream, Silva is willing to halve the salary he earned at City, which was 16 million, and wait for the Blaugrana club to enter within the 1:1 rule of the league’s fair play. It should not be forgotten that his agent is Jorge Mendes, who has a great relationship with Laporta and who already closed João Cancelo in January.
Flick is comfortable with a young squad but has also talked about having experienced leaders. Bernardo, who can play in midfield and as a winger, would start the league at 32 years old but has won the Premier League 6 times and a Champions League with City. The coach still has to give the final approval for his arrival.
Read more Putin and his allies approve a declaration against Armenia to choose between them or the EU
