Barcelona's move for Anthony Gordon back in May now looks like the moment the club quietly closed the door on a much bigger transfer chase, according to a report from Israeli outlet ONE, which says Deco's recruitment team weighed up Yan Diomande before choosing to put their money behind the Newcastle winger instead.
Gordon's switch to Camp Nou was completed on 30 May for a fee reported at around €80m, split between an initial €70m and roughly €10m in add-ons, with performance clauses that could send Newcastle further payments tied to trophies and appearances. He signed a five-year contract as one of the marquee arrivals of Barcelona's summer.
ONE reports that Barcelona's hierarchy had held early contact around Diomande in May, when the Ivorian winger's price tag was seen as more modest than it is today, but ultimately judged Gordon the more realistic and immediate reinforcement for Hansi Flick's wide areas.
That decision has aged awkwardly. Diomande, a 19-year-old who lit up the 2026 World Cup for Ivory Coast, has since become one of the most fought-over players in Europe, with his price climbing well past the level Barcelona reportedly considered.
Real Madrid have already had an opening bid in the region of €100m turned down by RB Leipzig, who are said to value the winger closer to €130m. Sky Sports has reported Real Madrid's rejected offer publicly, with suggestions a fee nearer €120m could eventually get a deal over the line.
Paris Saint-Germain have tracked Diomande for months and were, at one stage, considered his preferred destination, while Liverpool have also registered interest but are reportedly unwilling to go beyond roughly £85m. Should any of the suitors meet Leipzig's valuation, it would become the biggest sale in the Bundesliga club's history, surpassing the departures of Josko Gvardiol and Benjamin Sesko.
Real Madrid's interest has been reinforced off the pitch too: Vinicius Junior sent Diomande a gift from his personal brand earlier this year, a gesture widely read in the Spanish press as part of the club's charm offensive, given Diomande shares representation with several players close to Real Madrid's dressing room.
None of this directly touches Barcelona now — their business with Gordon is done, and he arrives with Premier League pedigree after scoring 17 goals in all competitions for Newcastle last season. But ONE's framing places the Diomande saga alongside the Gordon deal as a case study in how quickly a club's calculated caution in one negotiation can turn into a market they can no longer afford to enter.
The wider picture is one of another Spanish superclub derby playing out at the very top of the market, with Real Madrid, PSG and Liverpool all still circling a teenager who was a relative unknown before this year's World Cup — and Barcelona, for now, watching from the sidelines after choosing a different winger in May.
