According to RAC1, Arsenal are in talks with Barcelona over signing Andre Gomes on a season-long loan deal. The 24-year-old has endured a forgettable spell at the Nou Camp since his surprise lucrative move from Valencia in 2016 and could be surplus to requirements this season.
Rather than settle for a lack of playing time in Spain, the central midfielder could be on the move on a temporary basis, as the Gunners reportedly don’t want to meet his lofty asking price. But given they’ve recently bolstered their engine room with two new arrivals, do Arsenal really need Gomes?
Gomes won’t improve the squad
Arsenal’s midfield is no longer a subject of criticism. The Gunners have a lot of depth in the engine room, so it’s questionable if Gomes would improve the squad. The Portuguese international didn’t feature an awful lot last season, making just six starts in La Liga, and hardly impressing when he was on pitch.
At Valencia, Gomes scored and contributed goals from midfield. He is a box-to-box player without much of a penchant for passing. He instead likes to get his shot away rather than create chances for his teammates. The 24-year-old is very combative too. He’s guilty of racking up bookings and does give away a lot fouls, so why do Arsenal need him?
He’s a jack of all trades, but a master of none and wouldn’t be worth bringing to the Emirates Stadium. New manager Unai Emery has a lot of midfielders to choose from next season. He’ll be forced to leave out players of quality due to their strength in depth.
Arsenal have plenty of options in midfield
Jack Wilshere left Arsenal to join West Ham United on a free transfer, while Aaron Ramsey’s contract has less than year to run, but the Gunners are currently overstocked in midfield rather than the opposite. With Lucas Torreira joining from Lazio, he’ll prove some steel to the side. He impressed for Uruguay in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and could be an inspired signing.
Mattéo Guendouzi was another midfield signing made by Arsenal. And with Mohamed Elneny signing a contract extension earlier in the summer, the London outfit will have Ramsey, Elneny, Guendouzi, Torreira, Granit Xhaka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles as options at the heart of the midfield. Finally, there’s variety and quality among the names, but it’s unknown who will get the nod when the new season starts.
Nevertheless, Arsenal are likely to be content with their midfield, meaning an approach for Gomes may be a pointless endeavour.
