Everton have made their first major move in this summer’s transfer window and have sealed a five-year deal for previously on-loan Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes.
This is I think a piece of news that will be welcomed by most Everton supporters. Gomes was been a growing influence on the Blues team last season with his technical quality and at just £22 million it looks a bargain deal as well in today’s transfer market.
That fee is a consequence of the deal-making competence and savvy of Director of Football Marcel Brands. His influence on the club is growing.
The deal also seemed to be contingent to some extent at least, on Everton selling Nikola Vlasic, who has joined CSKA Moscow permanently. That meant that the club effectively recouped most of the Gomes fee.
It reflects the desire of the club hierarchy to ensure squad balance and numbers. And it also fits in with a commitment to ensuring value for money.
Signings such as Gomes now joining permanently and the outstanding Lucas Digne, another steal from Barcelona, indicate a step improvement in the quality of talent the Blues are finding and bringing in.
The Portuguese player has been very enthusiastic in his comments about the club and in his commitment to joining Everton long-term. Let’s hope he can maintain and even improve his game next season and contribute a few more assists and goals too.
In other transfer news, stories are circulating that the Toffees are interested in a move for the young Juventus forward Moise Kean.
The Daily Express reckon Everton are tracking him and are ‘keen’ to get a deal done for the youngster as soon as possible.
Kean has made a breakthrough this past season getting several chances in the Juventus first-team and impressing with his potential.
The Express reckon Kean’s agent might help facilitate a move for the player to the Premier League. Mino Raiola, the so-called ‘super agent’ represents Kean and would apparently consider a move to England as a good decision for him.
Juventus are, the paper claims, hopeful of keeping him and can offer Champions League football of course next term.
However the lure of the Premier League and the Blues willingness to pay serious money might sway them into cashing in on the player.
Looking at his qualities though, Kean appears to be quite a different centre-forward to the current incumbent, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Italian’s strengths are his dribbling and finishing but he’s not going to offer the kind of things Calvert-Lewin gives the team, at least yet.
So if Kean did join it could mean that the Toffees have to adjust their current 4-2-3-1 system in order to accommodate his strengths.
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Calvert-Lewin has developed his ability to hold the ball up and effectively bring other players into the attack. His work rate off the ball, pressing defenders and running the channels is also excellent.
So any deal for Kean would presumably mean he would be eased into the team and might possibly be rotating with Calvert-Lewin, unless the Blues changed their attacking formation.
But the kind of fee being mooted is around £20 million, quite a lot for a 19-year-old who’s only played a few senior games. That seems to indicate that Kean, if he joined, will be getting an early chance in the Everton first team.