Late last week it was being reported that Everton were looking to tie the signing of on loan Barcelona man Andre Gomes this summer, but that we would now face competition from Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.
The original claim came from the Telegraph but it was typical transfer rumour mill fare and simply lent on the season the 25-year-old has had for us as he adjusted to the Premier League level, and some apparent previous interest from the London club in the player.
The report also stated that chief scout Steve Hitchen was at Anfield to watch the Merseyside derby last December.
Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday programme (6/4 – 12pm) covered the speculation as they built up to the day’s action and pundit Matt Le Tissier felt that Everton fans should certainly be worried about Spurs swooping in and stealing him from under our noses, given how impressive he has been for manager Marco Silva.
“From what I’ve seen of him this season, he’s looked pretty impressive. Any player who’s on loan and he comes in and does well in the Premier League, he’s going to catch the eye of the big teams. If he’s performing well for Everton, then if there’s a chance to nick him off them, why wouldn’t teams that are above Everton try and do that if he’s been that impressive in the Premier League? For sure, Everton fans should be worried.”
This is always the problem with loan deals where there isn’t a guaranteed buy clause in place, but fans always know that.