Andre Gomes angles for permanent move

It’s safe to say that when Andre Gomes joined Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina in coming to Goodison from Barcelona that many Everton fans were skeptical of what the Portuguese midfielder could bring to an already crowded Toffees midfield.

Needless to say, things have changed and after a string of dominating performances, including a Man of the Match performance in the Merseyside Derby Toffees are more than a little smitten with Gomes, and it appears he shares their affections.

According to Paul Joyce in the Times Gomes has no intention of returning to Barcelona at the end of the year.

Everton are hoping that Andre Gomes’ unwillingness to return to Barcelona will help to drive down his price as they try to secure his permanent transfer.

The Portugal midfielder cost a £2 million loan fee when joining in August and has impressed with his range of skills, catching the eye in Sunday’s Merseyside derby despite his side’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Of course, while Everton and Gomes are surely more than happy to wrap up a transfer, Bareclona are looking to recoup the considerable sum they spent when they purchased Gomes from Valencia.

Gomes endured an unhappy spell over two years at the Nou Camp following a £29 million move from Valencia and claimed the pressure he felt under turned his stay into a “kind of hell”.

Everton believe that the 25-year-old does not want to go back to the Catalan club and hope that Gomes’ desire to remain at Goodison Park will help discussions over the coming months. There is no immediate rush to conclude a deal, however, with Gomes’ loan deal running until the summer.

It also appears that Silva and Brands knew exactly the type of impact Gomes would have on the squad and looked into a permanent deal this summer, with the price too high at the time.

Marcel Brands, Everton’s director of football, said Barcelona’s asking price was too expensive in the summer only for them to relent and sanction a temporary switch. Sources in Spain indicate that Barcelona would seek their money back.

With the monumental impact Gomes has had it’s hard not to see Everton doing whatever it takes to keep him in Goodison for the forseeable future.