Arsenal have had a busy summer transfer window under the tutelage of their new boss, Unai Emery. The North London based outfit have acted with great diligence and urgency to bolster their ranks and have already lured Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno, Sokratis, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira to the Emirates Stadium.
Emery has stated that the squad is complete and he will sign one or two new players only if there arises a good opportunity. According to a recent report by Metro, Barcelona have encouraged Arsenal to make an offer for Andre Gomes. Barca have approached the Gunners after reports about their potential interest to prise Gomes out of Camp Nou ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, as per the report.
Gomes started his senior career with Benfica and after a loan spell with Valencia, he joined the latter on a permanent deal. He was brilliant while he was in the ranks of the La Liga outfit and eventually, Barcelona made him sign on the dotted line. His initial days were productive but he has been stuttering under pressure lately and is enduring a torrid time with his current employers.
He mustered merely 6 starts and 10 substitute appearances in the Spanish top flight last term and failed to register any goals or assists. His stocks have depleted and it is reported that the Gunners are willing to roll out around £18million, although Barcelona are holding out for a higher fee. The Portuguese international is predominantly a central midfielder but can operate as a central defensive midfielder as well.
Gomes is an astute passer of the ball and is good in the air. He reads the game well and has the tendency to dictate the tempo of the game from the middle of the park. Despite the fact that he is struggling to make his presence felt at Barcelona, there is no denying that he has a lot of potential and he probably needs a change in scenery in his career.
However, Arsenal do have a star-studded midfield unit and signing him isn’t going to make a lot of sense. He is out of form and moreover, he is not familiar with the animosity that the Premier League has on offer. The 24-year-old needs to move to a club where he can ply his trade regularly and considering the midfielders Emery has at his disposal, he might not get regular game time at Arsenal.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
