Barcelona have reportedly agreed a €25 million plus €2 million fee with Premier League outfit Everton to sell midfield star Andre Gomes.
According to French journalist Cedric Rablat, Andre Gomes is on the verge of joining Everton on a permanent basis. The Premier League club have reached an agreement with Barcelona over a €25 million deal for the Portuguese midfielder, with the deal also set to contain €2 million in bonuses.
Andre Gomes seemed to have hit a brick wall after sealing a big move to Barcelona in the summer of 2016. In the two full seasons that he spent at Camp Nou, the Portuguese international was on a constant downward spiral and managed to start just 39 games during this period.
With his career headed nowhere at Barcelona, having also lost his place in the national side, Gomes was shipped out on loan to Premier League outfit Everton last summer. And, the move has turned out to be exactly what his career needed.
Playing under the tutelage of compatriot Marco Silva, the 25-year-old rediscovered his best after making a belated debut in October. Having become a mainstay in the Everton midfield and struck up a formidable partnership with Idrissa Gueye, Gomes missed just three games following his debut when fit.
His exploits with the Toffees have resulted in interest in the player skyrocket this summer. Premier League giants Arsenal and Tottenham have reportedly been keen on swooping Gomes away from Barcelona, while Marco Silva has always maintained that he would like to see Gomes join Everton on a permanent basis.
Certain reports had even indicated that West Ham United had lodged a bid for the 25-year-old. But now, Everton seem to have prevailed in securing a deal for the Portuguese midfield star, who has fondly talked of the Merseyside club in recent comments, and are set to sign him permanently this summer.
Gomes, despite a strong season at Goodison Park, had no future at Barcelona, who are stocked with midfield options following the signing of Frenkie de Jong. As a result, the Blaugrana are set to offload a number of fringe midfielders and the widespread interest in Gomes only helped their cause.
At Everton, the former Valencia star is already familiar with the surroundings and should ideally only improve as he approaches his peak years. Gomes will sign a five-year contract with the Premier League outfit that will tie him to the club till the summer of 2024.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will recoup €25 million from the deal plus an additional €2 million if the bonus clause is met. All that now remains is for the transfer to be formalised and announced on the official channels, with Andre Gomes set to continue on at Everton.
