OPINION
West Ham are reportedly weighing up a move to sign Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes as a deal to lure William Carvalho to the London Stadium looks to have gone cold.
Sky Sports claimed last week that West Ham had opted against signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Carvalho, after the Portuguese giants failed to reduce their £40million asking price for the Euro 2016 winner.
Now, Bleacher Report transfer expert Dean Jones claimed on his personal Twitter account that the Hammers could instead look to sign Carvalho’s Portugal teammate Gomes.
However, he added that the 25-year-old’s wages with the La Liga giants could prove a major stumbling block in West Ham’s pursuit of the former Valencia ace, ahead of Thursday’s 11pm deadline.
West Ham have been exploring option of signing Andre Gomes. Funding wages could be tricky though
— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) August 30, 2017
Gomes has fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona since his move from Valencia last summer, even more so following the signing of Brazil international Paulinho from Chinese Super League side Ghangzhou Evergrande.
Good move for West Ham?
Gomes would be a major coup for the Hammers if they could pull off a deal before the end of transfer window, with the midfielder’s reputation standing as one of the best in La Liga despite a stuttering 2016-17 campaign.
The midfielder is known for his technical abilities in the middle of the park and would be a good signing for most Premier League sides, due to his calibre within European football.
Able to find the back of the net from the middle of the park, he would add an extra attacking dimension to the West Ham midfield that is currently lacking in Mark Noble, Cheikhou Kouyate and Pedro Obiang.
Gomes scored three goals in 30 league and cup encounters, as well as adding two assists for the club and that would be crucial as the Hammers look to reinvigorate their already faltering 2017-18 season.
This Is Futbol rating: 9/10.
Likely to happen?
Plenty of stumbling blocks stand in the way of West Ham looking to complete a deal, with Jones claiming that his wages could be “tricky”.
The Daily Express claimed back in March that Gomes is earning a huge £80,000-a-week at Barcelona, after putting pen to paper on a five-year deal last summer following his £31million move from Valencia.
However, with the Hammers desperately in need of a kickstart, Slaven Bilic could be willing to fork out that amount in order to lure him to the London Stadium.
Another barrier preventing the Hammers is the time remaining in the window, with less than two days before the deadline strikes. West Ham must move quickly and be flexible, if they are to sign Gomes.
This Is Futbol rating: 4/10.