Top pundit and former England right-back Danny Mills feels Everton have pulled off “a real coup” by signing Andre Gomes from FC Barcelona, following reports suggesting a deal for the Portuguese ace is imminent.
Speaking with Football Insider ahead of the expected announcement, the 42-year-old described Marcel Brands’ success in luring the 25-year-old to Goodison Park on a permanent transfer as a “masterstroke”, given the fierce competition we faced from West Ham United and previously Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur.
The long-time Leeds United servant also shared his disbelief in reports suggesting the agreement with Barcelona will only set the Blues back an initial €25million (£22.2m). Although Football Insider have claimed there will be a further £9million included in the contract through performance-related add-ons.
“It’s looking like a done deal,” Mills said. “It will be a masterstroke if Everton can sign a player of that quality for £30million or less.
“He took a few months to settle into the Premier League, which is not unusual for players joining from overseas, but has proved to be a fabulous player who really does look the part.
“Tottenham and West Ham have been linked with him, so Everton will definitely view it as a real coup. He’s a player Marco Silva has made clear he wanted.
“Clearly, the Portuguese link with the manager will have been a factor in Gomes’ thinking. He will have been saying, ‘where will I be happiest’? [and] it appears that will be Everton.”
Gomes, who featured in 29 games for Everton across all competitions while on loan on Merseyside, will surely be looking to better his record in front of goal should the deal go through, given he currently only has a single successful strike to his name while wearing Royal Blue.