OPINION
Everton midfielder Andre Gomes has been one of the Toffees’ standout players on loan from Barcelona and there is little question that Marco Silva must make his stay permanent in the summer.
The Portuguese international has been a mainstay in the Everton midfield and it should come as no surprise to hear that he has attracted interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham with Mauricio Pochettino wanting to strengthen his midfield.
The Mirror have reported that Everton are willing to outbid their league rivals after seeing Gomes’ expertise throughout the campaign and this must be the first piece of business on their list for the transfer window.
The appeal of Champions League football is a big factor in persuading players to join and Tottenham possess that, which will be Pochettino’s main selling point.
Having said that, Marco Silva must sell the fact that Gomes can be the catalyst to push this Everton side to Europe themselves and start winning silverware. Gomes may prefer to stay at Everton and be the main part of starting something special at the club.
With plenty of game time on Merseyside already under his belt, the Barcelona loanee must realise he could be at the centre of everything for the Toffees moving forward, whereas he would be battling among Spurs’ top talents to make his mark in north London.
The fact Everton are said to be willing to blow Tottenham away in a bidding war should show their ambitions and going above and beyond might well be enough to convince Gomes to stay.