Real Madrid will reportedly need to fork out €60 million to secure the services of Brazilian midfield sensation Joao Gomes.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Flamengo will point to Joao Gomes’s release clause, worth €60 million, to part ways with the Brazilian midfield sensation amid interest from Real Madrid. On the other hand, the reigning La Liga champions hope to strike a deal for €40 million.
Joao Gomes spent his formative years in his hometown, Rio de Janeiro, joining Flamengo as an eight-year-old before rapidly progressing through the ranks at the Brazilian outfit. The 21-year-old broke into the first-team squad two years ago and has come leaps and bounds since then.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the Brazilian midfield sensation has already racked up over 100 appearances for Flamengo while chipping in with three goals and three assists. Gomes’s progress at Flamengo has not gone unnoticed either, with several European bigwigs, including Real Madrid, setting their sights on him.
Real Madrid lost Casemiro in the summer transfer window but replaced him with Aurelien Tchouameni as a long-term holding midfield solution. So on first look, the reigning La Liga champions do not seem to have the need to sign a defensive midfielder anytime soon, and the interest in Gomes might not make sense.
But with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric approaching the end of their respective careers, Real Madrid will soon delve into the market for midfield reinforcements. While Gomes will not be a like-for-like replacement for either Kroos or Modric, he can still be a handy addition at Real Madrid.
With Eduardo Camavinga evolving into a box-to-box midfielder and Federico Valverde revelling in a more advanced role, signing a defensive-minded midfielder might be what the doctor has ordered for Real Madrid. But the Brazilian midfield sensation will not come cheap as Flamengo will only part ways with him if a suitor triggers his release clause, worth €60 million.
Meanwhile, the Merengues hope to strike a deal for around €40 million, meaning they will need to drive a hard bargain to land Gomes. It will be interesting to see if Flamengo will remain adamant on the triggering of the €60 million release clause, especially with other suitors, like Liverpool, also in the equation.