Juventus Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Andre Gomes and Benedikt Howedes
Juventus have reportedly held discussions with Barcelona over a possible deal for midfielder Andre Gomes.
According to Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia), negotiations were held at the UEFA Champions League draw on Thursday in Monaco. Barcelona are said to be ready to move Gomes on after he struggled in his debut term at the Camp Nou.
It's suggested there are some disagreements as to what type of deal this would be. Juventus want to loan the player with an option to buy at the end of the temporary spell; Barca would reportedly prefer a compulsory purchase option or a permanent transfer.
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As Sport Witness noted on Thursday, the Champions League draw was always going to be the trigger for fresh speculation:
Gomes' position is an interesting one. In 2016-17 he struggled, with the pressure of arriving at a club like Barcelona for a massive fee inhibiting his play.
The Portuguese failed to assert his authority on matches, made bad decisions on the ball and was maligned by plenty of fans. At times, it was clear the confidence that made him such a big hit at Valencia had seeped away from his game.
However, Rafael Hernandez suggested Gomes deserves patience after a testing first season at the Camp Nou:
Barca are stacked with options in the middle of the park, though, especially with Paulinho arriving from Guangzhou Evergrande.
Gomes may be further down the pecking order at Barcelona as a result. Though at Juventus, with Claudio Marchisio, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi all fighting for a first-team spot, getting minutes may prove to be just as difficult.
Juventus Close In on Howedes
According to Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio (h/t Football Italia), Juventus could announce the capture of Benedikt Howedes from Schalke imminently.
It's stated Juve are seeking to bolster their defence with the Germany international and are keen to bring him in on loan, with the chance to purchase the player outright at the end of the season. A final decision on whether to sign the player will reportedly be made on Friday.
According to the report, Juve would pay as much as €3 million to get Howedes for the coming season and would then have the chance to make the deal permanent for €10 million. The German has fallen down the pecking order at the Bundesliga side and is poised to depart before the deadline.
Bleacher Report's Gianni Verschueren is unsure as to whether this is a smart move from Juventus:
Howedes is not a player who will fill the void left by Leonardo Bonucci following his move to AC Milan. But he's a canny defender at his best, able to thrive in different systems and even as a full-back if needed.
There's no guarantee Howedes would get regular games with the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Daniele Rugani all competing for spots. His experience, physicality and composure in possession would be useful to Juve over the course of the campaign, though.
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