Barça are already working on a massive operation for Anthony Gordon. RTVE reported that the agreement with Newcastle United is closed at €70 million fixed plus €10 million in variables, with the English attacker set to sign a five-year contract. That immediately turns the winger into one of the biggest bets of Barça’s summer.
The first reading of the signing is obvious: it is a huge investment for a club still forced to carefully measure every move. But inside the Spotify Camp Nou, they are also looking at the bigger picture. And that is where a chain of parallel operations could significantly reduce the real financial impact of the deal. That domino effect connects Gordon, Ez Abde and Jan Virgili.
Abde could trigger the first major income
The first piece of that chain is Ez Abde. The key point here is not speculation, but the current structure of his rights. FC Barcelona officially announced in 2023 that they had retained a buy-back option and 50% of a future sale. However, that situation later changed.
Mundo Deportivo explained in May 2026 that, after later adjustments with Real Betis, Barça now keep only 20% of a future sale, while the Andalusian side control the remaining 80%.
That means if Newcastle eventually paid €60 million for Abde, Barça would not receive €18 million, but around €12 million through that 20% share. That figure would not formally reduce Gordon’s transfer fee in negotiations with Newcastle, but it would clearly ease the club’s overall summer balance.
Jan Virgili could complete the chain
The second part of the domino effect involves Jan Virgili. Barça officially completed his transfer to Mallorca in 2024, but they included two key clauses: a matching-right option and 50% of a future sale of the player.
In addition, Balearic media reported just days ago that, after Mallorca’s relegation, his release clause dropped to €12 million.
If another club — for example Betis in the event they lose Abde — paid those €12 million for Virgili, Barça would be entitled to part of that operation. Taking the officially retained 50% as reference, the blaugrana side could receive around €6 million.
The real impact changes a lot, although not as much as first expected
This is where the major twist appears. With the most reliable current figures, the domino effect would not generate €22.8 million, but rather compensation closer to €18 million: €12 million from Abde if he were sold for €60 million, and around €6 million from Virgili if he left through his new €12 million clause.
That would leave Anthony Gordon’s fixed transfer impact at an approximate net reading of €52 million, before including variables and assuming both parallel operations actually happen.
It would not be a direct discount negotiated with Newcastle, but an indirect compensation within Barça’s overall market planning.
Gordon remains the major bet
None of this changes the main reason behind the signing. Barça want Gordon because of his qualities: he can play on the left, attack space, provide depth and also offer more central attacking solutions. The domino effect simply helps explain why such an expensive operation can make more sense than it initially appeared.
The conclusion is increasingly clear. Anthony Gordon remains a huge investment, but Barça are not analysing the operation in isolation. If the summer activates movements involving Abde and Virgili, the real cost of the deal could drop significantly.
Not to the €47.2 million originally suggested, but still to a figure that completely changes the financial reading of the signing.
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