Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes has told Barcelona chiefs he wants to leave the Nou Camp over the next week amid doubts of a first team place under new manager Ernesto Valverde, according to reports.
Jose Mourinho identified the Portuguese as a potential option last summer after featuring in Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning squad, reportedly launching a bid worth £32.5m, but the midfielder elected to move from Valencia to Barcelona instead. And he has struggled to impress supporters so far, managing just 17 La Liga appearances under Luis Enrique last season. He was even named the worst signing of the year by readers of Marca (albeit a Madrid based paper).
That said, his talent is obvious. The 24-year-old brings a direct, purposeful style to midfield, adept at breaking through the lines and exploiting space in behind. His passing ability is, of course, miles ahead of most in the Premier League. United have once again approached Barcelona over signing him this summer but ended up focusing efforts on bringing Nemanja Matic to Old Trafford instead.
However, while Mourinho has told supporters not to expect any more arrivals this summer, he may take note of Gomes’ sudden desire to leave. The midfielder, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, has told Ernesto Valverde – who has only handed him one start so far this season – that he wants a move away from Catalonia after seeing his new boss sign Paulinho and express heavy interest in securing the services of Nice midfielder Jean-Michel Seri as well.
