Barcelona: Andre Gomes a potential summer target for Valencia
The Portuguese midfielder’s former club could save him from his Barcelona nightmare.
Valencia are considering a loan move for Andre Gomes this summer, according to Sport. This wouldn’t be the ideal scenario for Barcelona because they want to sell him, but it could be a useful outcome if he doesn’t attract other interest. There is little need for him in the squad, so getting him off the wage bill is a priority.
This would be an ideal move for Gomes due to Los Che being the club where he was at his best. His form there was what convinced Barcelona to sign him back in 2016. He is currently suffering severe confidence issues, so switching to a familiar environment might bring the best out of him.
Gomes’ dip in form has been so severe that he didn’t get picked for Portugal’s World Cup squad after being part of the Euros winning squad in 2016 as well as being picked for the Confederations Cup team. Therefore, it’s fair to say that his career has stagnated and is in danger of free fall if he doesn’t start performing.
His time at the club has to go down as a major failure because of the important role he was expected to fill as well as how poorly he performed. He did come out and admit his confidence issues, though, which was a brave decision. Some players just can’t live up to the high expectations at Barcelona. However, it doesn’t change how this his time at the club will be viewed.
Should Barcelona go ahead with this move?
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This would be a good move for Gomes, but the club should wait to see if he attracts any more interest. This could weaken their bargaining position, but it’s worth the risk because selling him would be much more beneficial seen as he doesn’t have a future with the club. It would also be beneficial to not sell him to a league rival because Los Che will be aiming to build on their fourth place finish.
He was barely involved last season, so they don’t have a desperate need to replace him especially with Carles Alena set to join the senior squad when he recovers from his injury. Barcelona need to cut down the wage bill as well, which means the depth of the squad will be reduced with the aim of promoting La Masia talents.
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Moving to Valencia could be a great move for Gomes because Marcelino has shown that he can bring the best out of the players at his disposal. Gomes’ compatriot Goncalo Guedes was loaned out to Valencia last season after being unable to break into the PSG first-team; the 21-year-old turned into a major counter-attacking threat under his tutelage. It’s likely that Gomes would be used as a wide midfielder similar to Andreas Pereira’s role last season.