According to the reputed Sun journalist Alan Nixon (via Twitter), FC Barcelona could soon accept West Ham’s £15 million bid for Andre Gomes. It was reported last week that the Catalans had rejected an £18 million bid from the Hammers for the same player. But, Nixon believes that the Spanish giants might be tempted to sell their Portuguese star, with Everton not pushing as hard as they had expected.
Andre Gomes’ success at Everton
It’s somewhat shocking that Everton are not pushing hard for the permanent signing of Gomes given the impact he had at Goodison Park this past season. Indeed, the ex-Valencia midfielder formed a solid partnership with Idrissa Gueye in midfield that saw Everton gradually improve under the tutelage of Marco Silva.
Gomes made 27 appearances in the Premier League during the 2018/19 campaign. But, he missed about eight matches with a muscle injury at the start of the season, thus minimising his overall game-time at Everton.
The 25-year-old was involved in just two goals. However, his overall contribution in the build-play, as well as Everton’s transition from midfield to attack, was crucial to their success.
What can Gomes bring to the table?
Gomes is a technically astute midfielder, who doesn’t like to sit back and distribute possession across the pitch. Instead, the Portuguese international focuses on carrying the ball around half-spaces and bring others into the play with his laser targeted passes.
He is quite good at taking on players as well, thanks to his quick feet and excellent composure on the ball. The 25-year-old notably averaged 1.5 successful dribbles per game in the recently concluded Premier League campaign. And that is quite an impressive statistic for a central midfielder.
As far as passing is concerned, Gomes attained a respectable pass completion rate of 84%. He also averaged 1.4 tackles per game, which is indicative of his aggression and willingness to win back possession for his team.
Where does Gomes fit in at West Ham?
Gomes will be an upgrade to Mark Noble in every step of the way. The Portuguese international is blessed with technical prowess and acts as a ball-carrier – a feature the ageing midfielder lacks in his armoury.
Hence, he can be deployed alongside Declan Rice in the double pivot in Manuel Pellegrini’s 4-2-3-1. Alternatively, he can also occupy one of the two central midfield slots, with Rice operating as the lone holding midfielder in case of a 4-3-3.
And with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini, Pedro Obiang and Samir Nasri all struggling with injuries throughout the past year or so, the addition of Gomes will serve as a breath of fresh not just for the club but for the fans as well.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
