Negotiations underway with Barcelona for Gomes

Good!

Nicely put Michael, I think this will happen but it will cost us £25M plus. These days, That's the equivalent of 10 to 12M that we would have paid 3 years ago. For a player who brings composure, despite his faults, its what we need to spend.

Pay it. He's worth double.

I hope he signs, he's only 25, and showed his class this season. He had a few poor games as well, but he was injured when we signed him, had no preseason, played a lot of matches, and probably needed a rest during the season, which he only got near the end, due to his 3 match ban. After finding his feet in the Premiership, should be a revelation next season,€25m/€30m, not excessive in today's market, and could recouparate a big chunk of it by selling Schneiderlin.

I was under the impression it was West Ham who were also interested, with (allegedly) Spurs dropping their interest. It's encouraging that Marcel brands is actually negotiating with Barca and not taking the Koeman/Walsh approach, blank cheque, just fill in the figure, and we'll do the rest.

Apparently Barca are considered to have had, by their standards, a disappointing season and there is demand for improvements, so they do need revenue from player sales, having failed to get to the CL Final.

I think he will become an Everton player but I hope they get him for a reasonable fee, and take all our deadwood as makeweight. :-)

Doesn't really matter what I or anyone else on here thinks as Silva has openly admitted he wants the player, but I don't get it at all. AndI know transfer fees have rocketed, but this is big money for a fella who was woeful for a couple of months of the season.

Maybe a full pre-season and all that kind of talk will do him wonders. It would need t.

For some reason I'm struggling to get excited at the prospect of Gomes. He knits play together well and is a better technician than anyone else we have in the middle and yet there are some serious shortcomings: He doesn't score or create enough for a box to boxer. He's fairly slow. He doesn't make a lot of tackles or interceptions. He gives away a fair few silly fouls. He was not missed at all when suspended.

If he was costing £15-20m then I could certainly see the sense in it as a concession to continuity if nothing else. If Barca are asking for £30m+ then I'd say there are more exciting, dynamic players out there. We need more goals from the middle of the park and I'm not sure Gomes will provide them.

Silva clearly rates him highly though so I guess that will do for me.

Not sure about this. Misses too many games through injury or suspensions

Young and has all the attributes. Big, strong and powerful whilst also being skilful and composed.

Could be our midfield general for years to come.

Get him signed. - and see if Barça want to lend us Malcolm and someone like Aleñà for the season (with a set transfer fee option at the endend)

It's funny that if you read any of the West Ham sites right now, they are convinced he's going there. Part of the draw is playing at the London Stadium.

Sam - I take your point about Gomez lack of goals. But, in this respect he's not alone with both DCL and Bernard not chipping in with enough. What Gomez can bring is the occasional bit of calm class which we often lack.
What I 100% agree with you on is a tendency to lack discipline. He got away a few times with not getting a red card for a naughty tackle and lucky not to give away a few pens.
However, I think we need him and will be chuffed if we sign him

West Ham would have a certain appeal but after the barce debacle I suspect of the two Everton is a safer bet for him as he has already settled in.

Should André be convinced to go to West Ham the only reason could be the money, if so he's a mercenary and we don't want him, we need people to play for the club and the cause, you might make more money in the smoke but you'd probably lose a lot of it to a moped mugger

Get on with it.

I'm pretty sure we could match West Ham for wages. He might fancy London but l think we have a good chance of securing his signature. I know Lyndon had a piece calling Zouma The Priority. I'd beg to differ.

In Gomes we would have something completely different to what we have in that position. I feel Zouma is more easily replaced. Gomes signing would be a statement. COYS

It wouldn't surprise me if Barcelona put a buy-back clause in the deal. Smashing player on his day.

Please please don't cock this up Everton!
Give them what they want - seal the deal.

I'd be pleased if we get him locked up, but not excited. No question he's a good player with a touch of class, but a midfield general? No.

The inconsistency, indiscipline, defensive listlessness and lack of goals and assists (cited by Sam and Andy) were some of the characteristics that got him run out of Barca, and I think it was just a matter of good fortune that he didn't cost us any goals or games with those stupid fouls. He did significantly improve in the defensive area as the season went on, but the problem won't go away entirely.

I consider him desirable... but replaceable.

Some of the arguments against signing Gomes are eerily similar to the comments about signing Arteta.

Arteta was a luxury player, who didn't track back, score enough goals, have a lot of pace, etc. Yet if a young Arteta was available for €40 million I wouldn't hesitate.

Apart from skill and composure Gomes has the unique ability to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and put teams on the back foot. How I loved him against Arsenal.

He also has a quiet leadership about him whereby players elevate their game when he elevates his.

Truth is Gomes is the player Arsenal are crying out for right now. Potentially he reminds me of Eriksen.

If Brands signs Gomes and five others of like for like capability then we might just have a team.

"Some of the arguments against signing Gomes are eerily similar to the comments about signing Arteta."

Really, Jason? You were here 14 years ago when we signed Arteta? And you remember the comments?

Wouldn't be getting just a bit creative there, would ya?

Hi Mike.

Yep. Believe it or not (like me) the internet has been around for a while. Not creative just honest.

I get it. You have reservations and your opinion which is valid. I have mine.

The boy's class.

Reference has been made a few times in both the Spanish and English press to Everton having an option to buy but Barca can sell to the highest bidder. So what is this option if it exists?

Presumably we have the exclusive right to make an offer at some predetermined point? If this is so, and say that right doesn't expire until 30th June, then Gomes can't be sold until we make an offer or July 1st, whichever comes first.

If Barca need a deal done before the end of June, this gives Marcel a powerful card and explains why there are now regular 'talks'/'information sharing'. We should win the deal. However, West Ham have made such bullish off-the-record quotes on their determination to sign Gomes, they will look very foolish to their own fans if they disappear without a whimper now.

Pete #21, I've seen that reported too, but it's not true. Silva told the press back in October that there was no option to buy in the loan deal.

Hi Mike #22
Mundo Deportivo reported a couple of days ago that Everton have a non-mandatory option to buy. As they are effectively Barcas mouthpiece, they should be correct (and certainly were over Mina and Digne last year).
I'm assuming Marco sees a non-mandatory option as no option to buy, whereas for Marcel I'm wondering whether it is seen as a useful negotiating tool (in which case maybe this might drag on for a few weeks yet).

Mike (19) - Some of us have been here at ToffeeWeb.org and Evertonia.com since 1997 (and earlier.) Don't presume otherwise - especially not while trying to make the point you're making about revisionism!

As I remember it, people questioned why we were bringing in a Rangers reject on loan to replace a player good enough to go to Real Madrid.

I remember being on here when we signed Arteta but don't remember very clearly what was said. I do know that pretty much every player we've ever signed has had ToffeeWebbers questioning their ability, attitude, suitability for the Premier League, age, wages, transfer fee, sock colour or underpants size, so I'm not surprised to see it again.

Not only is André Gomes absolute class, he's also the kind of foreign player who will get better and better as he adapts to the Premier League.

Hopefully the outcome of the Champions League Final result will kick- start the EFC Board into making a decisive plan to get good players in and deal out the surplus of under-par players on the books.

It's going to be a very tough trading window for EFC.

Joe #24

I was only a wee lad when we signed Arteta from Rangers, but I can imagine some of the negativity spouted on here. However, I was old enough to appreciate the elegance and grace he brought to us at his best. I remember one game against Newcastle at Goodison where he dictated the tempo from start to finish and we won 3-0.

Get this boy signed.

Sam @7.

I know we've discussed Gomes before, and I appreciate your thoughts, but a good way to look at it is Gomes would probably cost 㿅M, we paid around that type of money for Schneiderlin, and we would probably get 㿅M back for Schneiderlin plus Besic.

I'd take Gomes all day long, imo he is different to the players we have, plus he will show Davis another dimension.

Schneiderlin, Besic and McCarthy will most probably all leave, that means Gomes and Davies will probably have Baningime or another join up with them in the first team squad, this will shake up our midfield, and not cost us an awful lot of money.

The comparisons between Andre and Mickel Arteta are very valid in my opinion. Please don't shoot me down when I say this, but as pleasing as the eye that they are, I believe neither of them possesses (possessed in Mickel's case) a hard-headed determination to win games. They both epitomise the phrase 'luxury player'.

I'm 49 and saw Peter Reid in his pomp, so I accept I might have exacting standards, but if we don't sign André, I'll be able to live with that.

And before you ask 'Who should we sign?' — Well, I'm hoping Marcel Brands can solve that dilemma.

Once Tottenham's interest reportedly cooled, I figured this was all but a done deal. That being said, I don't expect it to come together quickly, as Brands isn't going to let Barcelona hold us over a barrel.

In other words – patience, grasshoppers.

Si @28, if we got Gomes for 㿅m, then I think that would be okay business. There's no doubt he's a decent player and on a good day is capable of dominating a game like he did at West Ham. He's better than what we have.

I would just prefer someone a bit more dynamic, funnily enough I thought Sissoko was the best player on the pitch last night and would want someone like that, though he gets even less goals than Gomes!

Signing Gomes would be no disaster. But I just don't think he's quite as good as some others think.

I think we'd be quite lucky to get 㿅m for Besic and Schneiderlin but you'd hope it wouldn't be too far off that. The latter is an intriguing one and actually has better stats than Gomes for last season. If his wages were not so high, I'd say he's definitely worth keeping around.

His potential was demonstrated in the Anfield Derby last season when he was immense - by far the best player on the pitch. His inconsistency has been frustrating but when he is in form we look a completely different side.

If I was negotiating for Spurs, I would say to the media we've dropped our interest too. Everton try to drive a bargain and I outbid them. I'd wait til Spurs get their man before I started playing hard ball but anyway would expect to pay strong money for a player who will have plenty of offers unless he can be ‘compromised'.

This is good news.

I believe we're paying too much for him, but I completely understand why we are signing him and willing to pay a bit more to get him on a permanent basis.

I'll be more excited when I start reading about us offloading more players!

Sam Hoare. Still with you on this one, Sam.

Gomes evidently has ability, as demonstrated by his MoTM performance at Anfield. He has 'moments' in games which excite. But for my money, he has a lot more moments when he is anonymous, or even a liability to the side.

Stability, feeling the 'lurve', may benefit him, his game and the team should he sign permanently. But I'm not as enamoured of him as many fellow Blues evidently are.

Sam, Jy - he did have a great game at Anfield, but he should have scored from 3 yards out!

The way I see it is there might be better players out there for similar money but who's to say they'll be a success in this league. Gomes hit the ground running and his class is there for all to see.

TheGuardian a running that West Ham have upped their bid. If we lose out to West Ham that'd have a huge impact on morale.

I understand the slight misgivings of both Sam and Jay, but I do feel Gomes has that quality (still only shown on about 50% of his games with us) to elevate us.

What I like most isn't necessarily the assists or goals (which he does need to improve upon), but he is the type of midfielder who when he receives the ball, it always seems like he has more space, more control. He's the type of player who can control the tempo of a game. He has the physique and technical skills to be a complete midfielder, the combination of power and flair, which is why I disagree with those who compare him to Arteta.

With a season under his belt, the club being in a generally more stable situation, I feel he could really make strides next season. A midfield general who will make the side tick.

In Gueye, Gomes and Siggy I feel we have a top-6 midfield with all the boxes ticked.

A class and quality player, hope we get him and build around him. Would send the right kind of message to the rest of the quality players in the squad, and the right message to potential new signings.

First few times I saw Gomes, I thought he was one of the finest players I'd ever seen in the blue shirt. I still think he is a class above 95% of our players over the last decade or two, but he does seem to lack concentration at times, and you kind of think there's more there but he doesn't really want to dig deep to find it.

Having said that, I'm not sure where we'd find better than him in his role. If Silva/Brands want a Gomes style player, then Gomes is the best we could possibly get right now. My only question is whether, if/when Gana goes, our style might change a bit?

Where's Steve Ferns when you need him?

Gomes was clearly suffering from fatigue when we saw him at his worst. He didn't have a pre-season and hadn't been playing at Barcelona. He's then thrust into the most physical top league in the world and expected to run his socks off. He wasn't even rested when he was clearly struggling.
He's shown his class. He now has to increase his fitness which will improve his consistency. A lot of his mistakes came when he was tired and frustrated.

If we are to continue with the style of play that Silva prefers then a player like Gomes who can hold the ball is vital, it gives time to the full back getting forward and for Sigurdsson to decide which side of the pitch he is to support. It is a style that will improve if Gana can maintain the more creative form he showed late in the season. At the moment, if we don't get Gomes or another, the alternative would appear to be moving Bernard to a more central role.

Been reading some reports, that Gomes has chosen to return to us.. good news if its true

I sincerely hope that Brands knows what he is doing.

No smoke without fire. Marcel get it sorted. Lose this one and you will be compared to Steve Walsh and Bill Kenwright for trying to get players on the cheap.

Marcel you have a perceived reputation to uphold? Lose Gomes to West Ham or any other high profile team and you will be hard pressed to repair your reputation.

Sign Gomes and I for one will rescind the above.

MC pull your finger out. I am pretty sure he will sign, but why do we fart arse about! Sort it!!!

I don't know what's going on but it's slightly concerning that we are hearing all about West Ham and nothing about us. Rumour is that we haven't even made a bid.

If this is a player that management want then we need not mess this up, otherwise we are going nowhere.

Sky Sports are still reporting Everton as favourites to sign Gomes. I think we'll get him.

We ain't seen the best of Gomes. He has much more to offer. He's only been adjusting to a new country and, for me, was played a little too deep. I think if we play him with Schneiderlin and Gueye, or preferably an upgrade on Schneiderlin, then you'd see the best of him.

I'm not suggesting we drop Sigurdsson for him, but the platform of a Schneiderlin behind Gomes will bring out the best of him. It's essential we'd retain Gueye or another with lots of running as André and Morgan aren't the quickest.

We don't need to rush this through. Gomes has made it clear that he wants to sign for us. It's why Spurs said they were no longer interested and why WHU will also give up. Brands can take his time negotiating because Barcelona will not have any alternatives.

If Gomes has made it clear that he'll only sign for us then Barcelona will reluctantly lower their demands as they want to get rid. The player has the power. Brands has got this. Why is anyone doubting him?

I agree Chris. No good just telling Brands to get it done, if you want Brands to work his magic you have to give him time. I have had no doubt whatsoever that Gomes is going to sign for us. His conduct throughout his time here has been on a permanent player, his conduct in attending games when suspended (when other permanent players were missing) and his visible presence at official events (when Zouma was doing the same nor have other loan players) all hinted at someone who feels part of the club and why would he leave? I bet his terms were sorted out a long time ago, he's got a good deal, and he's off on his hols and leaving Everton and Barca to thrash it out.

Consider this deal done, and focus on who else might come in.

Should have got it done in January. The likes of West Ham are clearing pursuing him aggressively. Have we even bid at all?

Sky now saying West Ham have made a second bid.

Mike 20, Joe 25

Not sure if Lyndon or Michael write this but from ToffeeWeb in May 2006 Arteta was player of the month and to quote ToffeeWeb “Few believed that a low-profile Spaniard, who had failed to cut it at Rangers, could fill the boots of Gravesen.”

West Ham are a laughable club, why be worried about that outfit?

As for Gomes, he has, for most of his games, been the guy who makes the pass at the root of a move. His lack of assists and goals do not worry me. He's barely scored at all in his career. I definitely have a question mark about him without the ball and his overall mobility.

The pace of game has been difficult for him and as such when a player goes beyond him, his instinct is to foul and with it earn a card. He and Schniederlin are the same in that respect. If that tendency can be made good with a pre-season and adapting to England then good. The same was true of Arteta, he was as weak as a lamb when he first came in, loved a shirt pull when a player breezed beyond him. Howeve,r he learned to garner fouls rather than give the ball up, he adapted. Can Gomes?

The comments about reasons not to sign Gomes seem wide of the mark to me. What do you want Everton to do? Andre Gomes is the best our money can buy at the current time - we aren't in the market for your Bernardo Silva's or Luka Modric level players.

We're Everton, a mid table side at best, you have to remember where we lie in the pecking order and look at our best options accordingly. He's a very good footballer with a brain, unlike the majority of our signings in the last 20 years who have mostly been players with about as much footballing nouse as a teapot.

Sign him.

James@55 how do you know that Gomes is the best we can buy at the current time? Clearly you don't. And i've not seen anyone talking about buying the likes of Silva or Modric (obviously) so not sure why bother mentioning them.

There are alot of midfielders out there who we could get for around the 㿀m to 㿊m mark who performed as well or better than Gomes last season. Many of who are playing for smaller clubs than us. Of course none of them were playing for Everton so the risk is that they may not adjust to our team or even our league but to suggest there are no other options is plain fallacy.

FYI i do think that Gomes is a good player and am not set against signing him at all. But i do think there are weaknesses in his game and i do think there are other moer complete midfielders out there who might be worth looking at instead, especially if Barcelona think they can stiff us on the price (which i don't think they can as by all accounts Gomes has told them he want to come to us which is why Brands is just waiting for Barelona to realise they don't have the power in this negotiation and will have to sell him to us for closer to 㿀m than 㿊m)

His agent obviously playing games trying to get the best deal he can. No expert here, but maybe Gomes has dropped a hint to his agent that a move to the bright lights is attractive? First Sours now West Ham. For WH to bid several times you would have to think they have been told somewhere along the line that it's possible? I expect him to sign for us but players have slipped through our fingers before.

Put simply, I see him as a must buy. He knows the club and the area now, so he could be “settled”, and ready to go in the early season. Don't think we will be over-paying as we have with others recently. Fingers crossed.

It's looking like it's going through in the next few days, £120,000 a week, £26-27 million.

Patience is a virtue but we Evertonians really have to have it in abundance waiting for Everton to get deals completed in the off season.
I wonder why some of these deals are not at least started at an earlier stage especially with the Gomes situation.
The club, like the fans are fully aware that this lad can play a bit so why would they leave him up for grabs by other big clubs.

Barca are probably the reason why.

However, once that deal is made and hopefully he stays at Goodison then one would like to expect that Everton have other deals ready to be completed before the pre-season friendlies

A player with lots of ability. But what shocked me was his complete loss of form after around 10 games for us. After the Game at anfield, the whole team looked bereft of any confidence or quality. None more so than Gomes.

It is a pattern that has emerged many times throughout his career.

Think this one is nailed on. I'd be happier if its nearer £20m and £80k per week but I guess he is on big wedge at Barcelona. For me this move is about continuity as much as it is about buying potential. Whilst Gomes is a very decent player (and probably better than what we have) I do believe there are better players out there for £20m-25m. But Gomes is settled in the team and seems a popular player so that is perhaps worth bearing in mind.

I see that West Ham have signed Fornals after being rejected by Gomes. I think that move could work out very well for them in the long term. May take time to adapt but very talented young player. Bit jealous! Hope Gomes can improve on last season but he really needs to create more in that box to box role.

I believe we will get Gomes but like some others I have some concerns about him.

The Barca supporters feel like him the same way most of us did about Schneiderlin last year and it was worrying to see his major drop off in form and confidence after the Derby.

Even when we got through that spell he was still not the player who first joined us and seemed to be caught on the ball a lot for example when we were winning at Spurs and he lost the ball and then stupidly committed a foul on the edge of our box which led to their goal.

I can only hope that a good preseason and a confidence building start to the season produces the "good" Gomes as opposed to the "bad" Gomes.

I am more concerned about finding a quality replacement for Zouma as most top teams will be looking for CBs in this window.

Why is it that people on here are so worried about how much a player will cost and how much he will earn?

Leave that to the people who are paid to do the job and the billionaire owner.

Quite right, Geoff, the billionaire in question - I increasingly suspect - being someone other, and much richer, than our visible billionaire.

Geoff (#65); I think a lot have this irrational fear that these foreign billionaire johnnies will suddenly decide to pull out and vacate their responsibilities as guarantor regardless of the Law, while leaving clubs to fold under their massive wage bills as the TV monies dry up.

The same people have also said this is why they are glad to have "one of us" at the helm and may also be identified by the catch phrase, "Be careful what you wish for" and think NSNO = Not Someone Not our Own.

Still not announced. 24/7 news makes me impatient!

Alan J, I think they're right to have those fears. When Everton spend 㿙m on Sigurdsson, the cheque does not come out of Moshiri or anyone else's bank account, it comes from our own. Moshiri could walk away from the club and with the wage bill we have, then we'd be in considerable trouble.

The fact that Moshiri is gradually increasing his stake is great news for me, it shows his commitment. If he puts a load of money physically into the club, then he makes the shareholders richer as their shares are worth more. However, if it's just him and the fan type shareholder's (ie one share each and the people Moshiri said he would never buy shares off) then pumping money into the club does not devalue his own shareholding or enrich anyone else's.

I do think Moshiri is committed to Everton by wanting the glory of running a successful club, but that he ultimately wants to sell it for a profit, and the only way to do that is with increased standing and a shiny new stadium.

So, whilst I share their fears, I do reassure myself that he does not seem the Randy Lerner or Ellis Short type.

There seems to be some that have issues over Gomes not being the complete and perfect article. If he was he's be going for a lot more than £22m and it wouldn't be to us. He is however at the top of the market place that we are shopping in right now.