Everton should make an attempt to try Andre Gomes permanently
According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton are keen to test Barcelona’s resolve over on-loan Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes.
The 25-year-old arrived at Goodison Park from Camp Nou on a season-long loan deal but he carried an injury, forcing him to be on the sidelines before he was finally handed his debut against Crystal Palace at home. Gomes has started all the four subsequent games and has established himself as one of the mainstays of Everton’s midfield.
The Portuguese international was particularly impressive on his debut in the 2-0 win over Palace and produced his best performance of the season in a 1-0 win over Cardiff City this weekend.
After a slow start to the season under Marco Silva, Everton have finally managed to hit the ground running. The Toffees have put together impressive performances in recent weeks, winning five out of their last seven games in the Premier League and their consistent form has catapulted them to 6th in the standings.
And Andre Gomes has been involved in three of Everton’s last five wins, putting in impressive shifts in midfield to help his team gain control over proceedings in the central areas of the pitch. Playing alongside the tenacious and powerful Idrissa Gana Gueye, Gomes has caught the eye with his wonderful range of passing, short and long, and has spread out the play very effectively with his immaculate distribution.
However, he was at the top of his game against Cardiff and showed that he is not all about passing the ball around and dictating terms with his distribution.
Gomes contributed a lot to the attack with his powerful driving runs and caused all sorts of problems for the opposition up front. To add to that, the Euro 2016 winner registered a number of successful take-ons in the opposition’s half. Furthermore, he was very handy with his recoveries in midfield, combining his stamina with his game-reading ability to win possession back in the midfield.
As a matter of fact, Gomes averages 53.8 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 87.4, which includes 3.2 successful long balls per game. The 25-year-old also averages 1.8 tackles per game, figures which show that he has been a standout figure in Everton’s midfield.
Everton were found wanting for a quality central midfielder earlier in the season to partner Idrissa Gana Gueye. Gana Gueye has always been a lively presence in that midfield with his passing and tackling and Gomes has complemented him very well.
That is exactly the reason why Everton should look to carry this midfield pairing into the next season. Morgan Schneiderlin and Tom Davies have both been tried out in central midfield but neither of them has particularly impressed the manager quite enough to earn a regular starting role.
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Gomes was not one of the first names on the team sheet for Barcelona in the last season but the Spanish giants might not be keen to let him leave permanently as he has rediscovered his form at Goodison Park.
However, Everton should try their level best to reach an agreement with Barcelona over the future of the Portuguese international as soon as possible. And they must not hesitate to fork out a handsome fee to sign him on a permanent basis should the opportunity arise at the end of the season.
