Barca’s chief executive has handed Spurs a clear sign that Gomes could be available in January – but could Liverpool affect the deal.
Andre Gomes might have already been a Tottenham Hotspur player for over a month had Liverpool not dug their heels in over the future of Philippe Coutinho.
The Mail reported that Spurs were close to landing the Euro 2016 winning midfielder on transfer deadline day, only for the La Liga giants to pull the plug as they were unable to bring in a replacement – thought to be Liverpool’s number 10.
Though with Barca’s chief executive, Oscar Grau, claiming that a deal for Coutinho is far from dead, has he also hinted that Gomes could still be on his way as early as January?
“We are ready to buy Coutinho in the winter market, or any player the technical staff request,” Grau said in quotes reported by The Guardian. “But it is important to adjust ourselves, so if there are to be arrivals, there must be exits as well.”
Essentially, that translates to a ‘sell-before-you-buy’ policy. Considering that Liverpool rejected Barca’s third and final bid of £116.7 million in August (The Guardian), The Reds’ position strengthened by the fact that Coutinho only signed a five-year contract in January, means that the Catalan club will need to find some way of financing an even bigger offer.
Sell before you buy
Selling Gomes would be a step in the right direction. Barca paid around £30 million to lure the powerful midfielder from Valencia but, after a disappointing debut season at the Camp Nou, the 24-year-old appears to be surplus to requirements.
Gomes has played just 28 minutes of league football since Ernesto Valverde took over. And, according to The Sun, could be available for a knock-down fee of £20 million with Spurs still looking to make the move.
With Barca needing to sell to free up funds, however, Gomes could be on his way out regardless of whether Coutinho finally arrives.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
