Deco reveals why Barcelona chose Anthony Gordon over Marcus Rashford

Barcelona’s decision to let Marcus Rashford return to Manchester United was driven less by his output and more by Hansi Flick’s demand for greater intensity, pressing and energy in attack.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has provided fresh insight into the club’s decision to move on from Marcus Rashford despite the Manchester United forward enjoying a productive loan spell at Camp Nou last season.

Rashford scored 14 goals during his temporary stay in Spain and helped Barcelona secure domestic silverware, but those numbers were not enough to convince the club that a permanent transfer was the right solution.

Instead, Barcelona invested heavily in Anthony Gordon, with the Newcastle winger arriving for a reported €70 million, as Deco and Flick looked to reshape the attack around greater pace, intensity and movement.

Flick’s preferred profile

The decision appears to have been strongly influenced by Flick’s tactical demands. Deco explained that Barcelona wanted more energy from their wide players, particularly after seeing the team’s intensity drop when Raphinha was unavailable last season.

Gordon, whose pressing and off-the-ball movement have already attracted praise, was viewed as someone capable of maintaining that tempo rather than simply adding goals.

Barcelona’s summer recruitment has reflected that approach, with Gordon and Karim Adeyemi brought in to increase competition and give Flick more explosive options.

Gordon quickly proves his value

The early evidence suggests Barcelona’s gamble is beginning to pay off. Gordon has provided five assists across his opening four LaLiga appearances, while he also impressed during the club’s 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano and continued contributing creatively in the team’s strong start.

Although he is still searching for his first Barcelona goal, his ability to create chances and stretch defences has given Flick another important attacking weapon.

Barcelona have also begun the campaign in outstanding fashion, winning their opening four league matches before producing another emphatic Champions League victory over Feyenoord.

Rashford now has a point to prove For Rashford, Barcelona’s decision represents another challenge in his efforts to revive his career. His loan spell demonstrated that he could still produce at the highest level, but the Catalan club ultimately judged tactical suitability more important than his previous numbers.

Gordon’s immediate impact will only increase scrutiny on that decision, although Barcelona’s reasoning was clear: they wanted a winger who could fit Flick’s high-intensity demands and keep the team’s attacking pressure from dropping.