Report: Pochettino key to Andre Gomes picking Spurs over West Ham, £40m clause explained

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly poised to sign Andre Gomes from Barcelona.

According to the Daily Mail’s live transfer blog (16:49 and 17:00), Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has been key to Andre Gomes’ apparent decision to join Tottenham over West Ham – and a £40million permanent move could also happen.

Spurs tied up a fourth summer signing earlier today as Serge Aurier arrived from Paris Saint-Germain, joining Paulo Gazzaniga, Juan Foyth and Davinson Sanchez in North London, but Pochettino may not be done just yet.

Even after Fernando Llorente completes his expected move to Spurs, Tottenham could also be about to land a midfielder, with Barcelona’s Andre Gomes understood to be on the verge of joining.

The Daily Mail’s live transfer blog (16:49 and 17:00) reports that that both Tottenham and West Ham were keen to sign Gomes on loan from Barcelona, but West Ham’s confidence of sealing a deal has disappeared, with Pochettino understood to have intervened and convinced Gomes that a move to Tottenham is the choice he should make.

It’s added that, if Gomes plays 60% of Tottenham’s games over the course of his season-long loan deal, then Spurs will be obliged to sign him permanently for £40million after a clause was inserted into the deal.

That puts Tottenham on the hook for a club-record deal should Gomes become an important player under Pochettino, which may well be the case after he convinced the Portugal international to pick Spurs over West Ham.

Gomes, 24, starred with Benfica and Valencia before making a big-money move to Barcelona, having been identified as competition for the likes of Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic.

However, he struggled to make an impact with the Catalan giants, starting just 17 league games whilst notching only three goals and one assist, and Barcelona appear to have seen enough, having signed ex-Spurs midfielder Paulinho this summer.

Technically strong with a good range of passing, Gomes will now compete with Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama at Tottenham, where he will be hoping to settle and impress under Pochettino.