Barcelona sporting director Deco has opened up on the club's decision to sign Anthony Gordon rather than retain Marcus Rashford, insisting the former Newcastle United winger was a closer match for Hansi Flick's tactical demands.
Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United, contributing 14 goals across all competitions as the Catalan side lifted both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Despite that productive campaign, Barcelona chose not to trigger the £30.3m (35m euro) option to sign the 28-year-old permanently, sending him back to Old Trafford this summer.
Instead, the club turned to Gordon, who arrived from Newcastle in a deal worth more than 80m euros (£69.3m), becoming one of two marquee signings alongside Manchester City midfielder Rodri. Speaking on Catalan radio station RAC1, Deco acknowledged Rashford's impact during his time in Spain but made clear that Gordon better suited the identity Flick wants his team to play with.
"We are extremely grateful to Rashford," Deco said. "He contributed a lot last season, but our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony's. His style fits with what the coach is looking for."
According to Deco, one of the driving factors behind the move for Gordon was a need for greater dynamism in wide areas, particularly when Raphinha was absent from the lineup. The Brazilian's unavailability last season reportedly left Barcelona short on energy going forward, a gap the club identified as a priority to fix during the transfer window.
"In the case of Gordon, we saw that he was one of the figures we needed," Deco explained. "When Raphinha wasn't on the pitch, the team lost energy and with him we could solve it. The big advantage we had is that the player wanted to come and he was able to put on pressure [at Newcastle to be allowed to leave]."
Gordon himself has spoken about his long-standing desire to join Barcelona, revealing he had dreamed of representing the club since he was