Marcus Rashford receives explanation from Barcelona over decision to snub him for Anthony Gordon
Barcelona sporting director Deco has explained why the Catalan giants decided to sign Anthony Gordon over Marcus Rashford, a decision that sparked plenty of discussion this summer.
Rashford, who joined Barcelona in July last year on a season-long loan, was a regular for the La Liga winners, notching 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.
He impressed many onlookers throughout his loan spell, including the hard-to-please Hansi Flick, but despite his form, the Spanish club decided against activating a €30 million (£25.9m) buy option.
READ MORE: Barcelona make huge Anthony Gordon transfer move after 'not normal' debut in Champions League
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Last month, Flick voiced his appreciation towards Rashford. The German also admitted he would "miss" Rashford, who is very much part of Michael Carrick's upcoming plans at Manchester United.
"In the end, Anthony Gordon comes and from the first call with him when I spoke with him, he is on fire with Barca," said Flick in pre-season. "I'm really happy that he's on our team."
Deco speaks out on decision to sign Anthony Gordon over Marcus Rashford
Instead of chasing a deal for Rashford, Barca decided to spend £69.3 million (€80m) on Anthony Gordon, who has made an immediate impact at the Camp Nou, registering five assists in his first four La Liga games.
This week, Barcelona sporting director Deco gave an insight into the reasoning behind their decision to sign Gordon over his England teammate.
"We are extremely grateful to Rashford," Deco told RAC 1. "He contributed a lot last season, but our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony. His style fits with what the coach is looking for. We see every training session and analyse the team
"We have a clear idea of what we're looking for. One of the areas we struggled last season, without Raphinha, was that the team's energy dropped. It was lost. We needed more intensity."
Deco added: "We analysed a lot of wingers. Signing someone from the Premier League is almost impossible, but [Flick] was clear with what he wanted and we worked on a deal from there."
Marcus Rashford's gesture to Anthony Gordon after Barcelona move was made official speaks volumes
Back in June, Rashford joined up with his England teammates ahead of their World Cup campaign. Here, he could be seen speaking to Gordon, who soon revealed what the Manchester United forward said.
"He was just telling me how good the lads are there, the team spirit that they have, which I heard already from the people in Barca," he told talkSPORT.
“So I'm really looking forward to joining up with them. He was also telling me about the city, places to live. He's a lovely guy, very caring. So he was just giving me a bit of information.”
Gordon also opened up about his move to Barcelona, a team he described as the biggest in the world.
“I'm not satisfied at all to just play for Barcelona," he added. "I want to win everything. This is where my career begins in my mind. So I'm at the stage I always said I was going to be."
Topics: Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, FC Barcelona, Man Utd, La Liga
Jack Kenmare