Marco Silva is set to complete his first major signing of the summer, with Everton expected to get a deal over the line for Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes imminently.
The 25 year-old spent the 2018/19 campaign on loan at Goodison Park where he really impressed, becoming a key man as they went onto record an eighth placed finish. The Toffees were believed to have faced competition from West Ham and Champions League finalists Tottenham to secure his signature, so they've done well to get this deal over the line.
Everton have cash to spend this summer and the arrival of Gomes is likely to be the start of some significant investment at Goodison Park over the coming months, with Ajax forward David Neres strongly linked with a move to Merseyside. The 22 year-old is currently away on international duty at the Copa America with Brazil so Silva may have to wait to get that deal over the line, but it would be some coup if they could pull it off.
Gomes is expected to cost the Toffees around £22m, with a further £8m in achievable add-ons which looks like a very good deal. Especially with Barca paying around €40m to sign him from Valencia back in 2016, excellent value for Everton at a time when transfer fees are getting very steep.
He became an integral part of the midfield last season and really endeared himself to the supporters with both his technical ability and work rate alongside the impressive Idrissa Gueye.
The pair form an industrious partnership in the middle of the park and if Everton can retain the Senegal international it would be a big statement, with him reportedly drawing interest from clubs as big as PSG.
If Gomes can add a few more goals to his game (just one last season) he could really go on to become the talisman of this Toffees side. At the age of 25 he's approaching the peak years of his career and despite struggling at the Camp Nou, he appears to have found his home in the Premier League.
He really caught the eye with his ability to link up midfield and attack with his gut-busting runs, never-say-die attitude and determination. The PL is much more physical than that of Spain which means he can put his 6"2 to good use, the combative midfielder is a superb signing.
His departure from Barcelona comes as no surprise and the club are keen to offload as many players as possible this summer as they eye up a number of new transfers. A €100m + three players transfer for the return of Neymar has been widely reported recently which would definitely be the story of the window should it get over the line.
They're also in for Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann which looks like it's just a formality, with the La Liga side set to sign his replacement in the form of the €120m Joao Felix from Benfica. But whilst that deal just looks like a matter of time, their move for Neres' Ajax teammate Matthijs de Ligt appears to have stalled significantly due to the players wage demands, which has led to competition from Manchester United & PSG.
