Eddie Howe reacts to Anthony Gordon's £70m move to Barcelona
Newcastle United and Barcelona have finally concluded their business for Anthony Gordon.
The Spanish champions had a £70 million bid for Gordon accepted on Wednesday, and his official announcement as a Barcelona player came on Friday night after a lengthy delay as various bits of paperwork were ironed out.
Before Gordon left for Spain, he did a farewell interview with Newcastle United, where he said that he owed the club a great deal.
He went on to say that he wanted to leave the club on good terms, but we're not sure if he achieved that goal in the eyes of the fans.
Eddie Howe and Ross Wilson say a fond farewell
It seems that Eddie Howe bears no ill will, though, as he also spoke to the official website, where he said he understood Gorodn's reasons for wanting the move.
"While we're disappointed to lose Anthony from our squad, we understand that this is a big opportunity for him.
"He has been a big part of our success in recent years, and the fact that he developed into an England international during his time at Newcastle United is a testament to the hard work he invested to his development with the support from everyone at the club.
"He leaves with our best wishes, and I am confident that he will go onto be a success, both with Barcelona and the national team at this year's World Cup."
Ross Wilson also had a few words to say after he and David Hopkinson put a lot of time and effort into the deal.
"Anthony has been a fantastic professional during his time at Newcastle United. The relationship between him and the club, particularly with Eddie and our players and staff, has been excellent throughout.
"Anthony has shown real growth and development in his game. That is a reflection of both the environment we strive to create for our players and, importantly, Anthony's own commitment to improving every day.
"There has been interest in Anthony from a number of Europe's leading clubs over a period of time, and the conversations involving the club, led by David Hopkinson and myself, as well as Anthony's representatives, have been conducted confidentially and with a great deal of professionalism on all sides.
"I've enjoyed getting to know Anthony and enjoyed our relationship together. We thank him for his contribution and wish him and his family all the very best for the future. They will always be welcome back at St. James' Park."
Gordon will leave fans with mixed feelings
It seems Gordon leaves the club on good terms with everyone inside the walls at St James' Park.
We're sure there will be plenty of fans who are sad to see him go, but we also dare say that it won't be all.
Gordon was excellent at times for us, there's no denying that, but there were also far too many times where he looked like he couldn't be bothered and as human nature is to focus on negativity, that's what will be remembered by many, no doubt.
