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Barcelona have reportedly seen their €25 million offer for Maxi Gomez knocked back swiftly by Celta Vigo, with the player also on the radar of Tottenham.
The interest in Maxi Gomez seems to be genuine and the race to sign the Celta Vigo forward is reportedly heating up. According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona lodged a €25 million bid for the forward, only to see it being rejected swiftly by the La Liga club. Maxi Gomez is also a target for Champions League finalists Tottenham.
The report adds that Celta Vigo are prepared to cash in on Maxi Gomez, with the club thinking it to be the correct time, given the interest his performances have been able to generate. But, the La Liga club will hold out for at least €40 million, which is still less than the €50 million release clause embedded in the Uruguayan’s deal.
Maximiliano Gomez arrived at Celta Vigo from Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting in the summer of 2017. In what has been his first foray into European football, the 22-year-old has had two credible seasons to his name now, scoring a total of 31 goals in 75 matches for Celta Vigo over this period.
What has been even more impressive is his fitness levels, with Maxi Gomez missing just two La Liga games due to injuries over the span of two seasons. Barcelona have taken the first step towards landing the 22-year-old, with a bid being rejected by Celta Vigo. But, there is interest from Tottenham and West Ham United as well, with Spurs holding talks with the forward, according to Daily Star.
Barcelona do not have a quality deputy to Luis Suarez, who himself has shown signs of fading away from his usual swagger in front of the goal. Luka Jovic is reportedly set for Real Madrid, which means Barcelona will have to look elsewhere. Other targets like Marcus Rashford and Antoine Griezmann will cost the La Liga champions a lot, compared to Gomez.
Tottenham have Son Heung-min and Harry Kane as powerful forwards within their squad. While Mauricio Pochettino has worked wonders without any spending in the transfer market, the Argentine will be aware that there needs to be more depth in the squad to compete on all fronts.
West Ham do have Marko Arnautovic. But, Manuel Pellegrini will be looking to add more quality to the frontline in order to be able to compete for European football in the 2019-20 campaign.
Despite Celta Vigo holding out for €40 million, Tottenham, Barcelona and West Ham are unlikely to have a problem in mustering up the said amount, given the condition of the transfer market and the room for Gomez to grow further as he develops and gets acclimatized to European football with each season.
While Maxi Gomez needs to work a bit on his passing and work-rate, his aerial ability and tenacity will be an asset to each of the aforementioned suitors.
