Sidney Sladen
Manchester United are reportedly looking to indulge in a January move for Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes. A sum of £31million is understood to be the asking price and with Jose Mourinho on a quest to strengthen his options in the midfield, the Red Devils might make a move for him once the winter window opens. (Source: Don Balon h/t Manchester Evening News)
Although Gomes is quite talented and has immense potential, he has failed to establish himself at Camp Nou. As a youth star, Gomes was initially a part of Porto’s youth setup. However, at the age of 18, he joined Benfica and progressed through the ranks at the Portuguese club to become one of the brightest talents there.
He then spent a loan spell with Valencia and signed for them permanently in 2015. His brilliant displays then attracted attention from the Catalan giants and Gomes moved to the prestigious Camp Nou in 2016.
Since then, things have not really worked out for him and his troubles have been further compounded by Paulinho’s arrival. Ernesto Valverde has been selecting the Brazilian ahead of Gomes and with his future looking increasingly bleak with Barcelona, it is understandable that Gomes is interested in pastures anew. Manchester United could prove to be a good option for him, given the need for creativity in the midfield at Old Trafford.
Gomes is quite versatile as well and can play across different positions even though he is a central midfielder by trade. He can slot in either on the left-wing or play as a defensive midfielder, which should be yet another encouraging sign for Mourinho to target his countryman. Moreover, with the lacklustre performances put up by Ander Herrera lately, Gomes could prove to be an upgrade. He is only 24 and could do wonders under Mourinho’s watchful eyes.
The player showed a lot of potential at Benfica and Valencia and he could do the same with a clean slate at Old Trafford. He is blessed with an imposing physique and he knows how to use that to his advantage. He can play alongside Nemanja Matic and would definitely prove to be an upgrade on Ander Herrera. He can help us during counter-attacks and the player would also get better opportunities to feature regularly at United.
