Arsenal are reportedly set to rival Tottenham in pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, whose loan spell at Everton has come to an end
As reported by The Sun, who have cited claims by Catalan radio station RAC1, Arsenal are ready to steal a march on Tottenham for Andre Gomes. The Portuguese midfielder is set to leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window despite a successful loan spell with Everton.
Andre Gomes seemed to have hit a roadblock in his career trajectory after joining Barcelona from Valencia in the aftermath of Portugal’s triumphant Euro 2016 campaign. But, upon joining Everton on a season-long loan deal last summer, the 25-year-old midfielder has gotten back to basics, which has arguably benefitted him this season.
Following a belated debut for the Toffees in October, the Portuguese international did not look back, becoming a mainstay in the middle of the park and missing just three games when fit. His exploits have meant that while Gomes has a non-existent future at Barcelona, he could secure a move to a bigger Premier League club than Everton, with Arsenal and Tottenham interested.
For Arsenal, the conundrum lies in securing the replacement for Aaron Ramsey, who will join Juventus on a free transfer when the transfer window opens in Italy. In addition to Ramsey, the futures of Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan remain up in the air, meaning bolstering midfield is of utmost importance for Unai Emery.
Gomes is thus, a viable target for Arsenal, who are now considering a move for the Barcelona midfielder. The Gunners though, are hoping to beat North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign the player.
Midfield has emerged as an area that desperately needs to be bolstered, as evidenced by the travails that Tottenham experienced in the second half of the season. With Mousa Dembele moving to China, a major hole was created in Spurs’ midfield, with Moussa Sissoko, Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Victor Wanyama the only options at Mauricio Pochettino’s disposal.
Adding Gomes could thus, beef up Tottenham’s midfield considerably, with the Portuguese being the tenacious midfielder who could be Dembele’s ideal replacement. While recent reports had claimed that Spurs were readying a bid for the Barcelona man, Arsenal are now looking to steal a march on their local rivals.
As per RAC1 Barcelona will demand £26 million in exchange for Gomes’ services, which would not put a huge dent in either side’s budget, although Arsenal would hope to secure qualification to the UEFA Champions League via Wednesday’s Europa League final, so as to get their budget hiked.
Meanwhile, Everton are also keen on signing Gomes on a permanent deal, although the fact that they cannot offer European football might be an obstacle for them. It now remains to be seen where the 25-year-old heads off to in the summer. Arsenal, Tottenham or Everton might sign him, but his future is unlikely to be at Barcelona.
