According to the Guardian, West Ham have made a £20million bid for Barcelona central midfielder Andre Gomes. The Hammers have already seen a bid of around £18million turned down by the Catalan giants. However, Barcelona are reportedly looking for a bid between £25-£35million for the former Valencia star.
Bought into Everton
The Portuguese midfielder spent last season on loan at Premier League Everton. The 25-year-old seemed to regain his confidence on Merseyside after testing time in Catalonia.
Gomes has previously talked about his struggles with getting his head around playing for a club the size of Barcelona. It took him a while to get back to full fitness, but once he did, he looked like the Rolls Royce of a central midfielder that impressed at Valencia.
He did go through a rough patch in the middle of the campaign. However, so did most of the team to be fair. When the Toffees shined, more often than not so did the Portuguese star.
Not only did he buy into the club on the field, but he also became a popular figure of the field, often doing work with the clubs renowned community work. The midfielder seemed truly happy on Merseyside with the Toffees.
Are West Ham a better option than Everton?
In terms of the move to West Ham, the only advantage for the Hammers may be that they are situated in the capital. Some foreign players prefer the lifestyle of London over those on offer at the northern clubs.
However, the midfielder has previously stated that he was happy at Everton and happy with his environment. In truth, West Ham cannot offer Gomes better-playing prospects or bigger wages.
Arguably Everton under Gomes’ compatriot Marco Silva the Toffees look to be in a good position to challenge for a top-six spot next season, especially if they manage to bring in some quality reinforcements this summer.
Everton the favourites
In terms of signing Gomes, Everton is the red-hot favourites to sign the central midfielder this summer. The Toffees are interested in signing the Portuguese star on a permanent basis.
However, the Merseysider’s have a massive wage bill and will have to attempt to offload some deadwood this summer too. That is unlikely to prevent a bid for Gomes, who is seen as a crucial cog in Silva’s plans for the future.
Silva has talked about his intention to sign Gomes this summer and hoped the club could get the deal over the line. A return to Goodison Park is believed to be Gomes favoured next move too.
Barcelona reportedly paid Valencia £30million plus add-ons to sign Andre Gomes in 2016. The Catalan club are understandably holding out for as much money as they for the Portuguese star. It is difficult to see the midfielder ending up at West Ham at this stage. It would be majorly surprising in fact if the 25-year-old is not back on Merseyside next season in the blue of Everton.
Will Andre Gomes return to Everton on a permanent basis this summer?
