Andre Gomes, who is on-loan at Everton from Barcelona, has plenty of admirers and Arsenal are the latest to enter the race for his signature in the summer.
Arsenal’s summer plans will certainly focus on bringing a quality midfielder to replace the departing Aaron Ramsey. ESPN are reporting about a possible interest from Arsenal in Andre Gomes, who is currently on-loan at Everton from Barcelona.
Gomes, who was once touted as a great talent, saw Barcelona spend €35 million on to secure his services in the summer of 2016. But, his time at Camp Nou was far from triumphant, with minutes being hard to come by.
With no guarantee of regular playing time at Barcelona, Gomes decided to embark on a new challenge and joined Everton on a season-long loan deal. It is unclear if Everton have an option to purchase the midfielder permanently inserted as part of the loan deal, but his performances at Merseyside have suggested they might try and bring him to Goodison Park for good.
However, Arsenal have now entered the race for the midfielder and could rival Everton for his signature when the summer transfer window re-opens. The Gunners will have space in their midfield after Aaron Ramsey makes his way to Juventus, and Gomes would undoubtedly fit the bill for the kind of player they might be looking for.
Unai Emery has been a keen admirer of the midfielder right from the Portuguese’s days in La Liga. But, current Arsenal Director of Football, Raul Sanllehi could be the trump card the Gunners possess, with the Spaniard responsible for signing the Portuguese during his time working with Barcelona.
The North Londoners have been linked with a number of enticing midfield options in recent months, with the replacement of Ramsey understandably being high on their agenda. But, Gomes could be the most viable target due to his experience in the Premier League.
Gomes has been in fine form this season for Everton, making 26 appearances for the first team. At Goodison Park, he finally seems to be enjoying his football again after a difficult couple of seasons with Barcelona, and his performances have meant that Everton are planning to sign him on a permanent deal.
However, with Arsenal and possibly other sides set to come into this picture, things might get a little complicated for Everton as well as the player. As for Gomes, Arsenal could be an ideal choice, and the same goes for the club if they can persuade Barcelona to lower their €30 million asking price. It now remains to be seen where he ends up playing next season, but it is unlikely to be at Camp Nou.
