Barcelona Transfer News: Andre Gomes Linked, Latest Andriy Yarmolenko Rumours

Barcelona are reportedly eyeing Valencia’s elegant midfielder Andre Gomes as a solution to their issues in the middle of the park.

According to Sport, the Blaugrana’s technical secretary, Robert Fernandez, is a big fan of the 22-year-old, who made his move to Los Che from Benfica permanent this summer after a season-long loan at the Mestalla in 2014-15. 

Here’s a look at the kind of attributes he would be able to bring to the Camp Nou should Barcelona lure him away from Valencia:

They’re qualities that are in short supply in this area of the pitch at the moment. After the summer departure of Xavi and the long-term injury suffered by Rafinha, suddenly the Blaugrana are looking a little short in the engine room.

While Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are not a bad trio at all, beyond them, manager Luis Enrique is devoid of cover.

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Gomes would bring a different style to the centre of the pitch for the Blaugrana. The midfielder loves to surge forward with the ball at his feet, committing players in central areas of the field and creating space for his team-mates to work within. He’s been backed to be a success at the Camp Nou, too.

“I'm convinced he'd be a great signing for Barcelona,” said former Blaugrana and Portugal midfielder Deco of Gomes previously, per Sport. “Although I don't know if today he could play at the level of Iniesta and Rakitic, but in the future, he will be able to.”

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The Portugal international would surely be tempted by the prospect of joining Barcelona, and at the moment, he would lend major support to a team that has been ravaged by injury issues.

However, once January comes and goes, Barcelona will have Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan to call upon, plus any other additions they make mid-season.

Gomes has thrived for Valencia because he’s getting regular games, and there would be no guarantee of that continuing should he make the switch to Catalonia.

Having signed a five-year deal with Los Che in the summer, expect the midfielder to see out a few more years of it yet.

Chelsea Join Andriy Yarmolenko Hunt

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According to Lluis Miguelsanz of Sport, Barcelona will face competition from Chelsea if they’re to land Ukraine international Andriy Yarmolenko in January.

Miguelsanz notes that Blues boss Jose Mourinho was in attendance to watch the Dynamo Kyiv man represent his country in the recent clash with Spain, a game in which he was very impressive.

It’s written that while Yarmolenko is keen on a move to Barcelona, the Chelsea manager has already made contact with his agent, Mikhail Gulordava.

As John Bradley of BBC Sport notes, it’s nothing new to see Yarmolenko turning in glittering performances:

Indeed, at Kyiv he’s grown into a very exciting player. Yarmolenko possesses tremendous pace, an array of skills and a thunderous left foot. Still, after being with Dynamo for the majority of his professional career, the time does seem right for the 25-year-old to make a move to a more illustrious club on the continent.

Here’s a look at why teams as storied as Chelsea and Barcelona are looking at bringing him in:

Chelsea are well-stocked with quality wide players, with Willian, Pedro, Eden Hazard and Ramires all battling it out for spots on the flanks. So it’s not clear where Yarmolenko would immediately fit in should he make the move to Stamford Bridge.

At Barcelona, he’d be back-up to the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. With clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Everton also linked, per Miguelsanz, where he’d become an instant key man, you wonder if a team just below the elite bracket might be best for Yarmolenko’s continued development as a player, rather than jumping right up to a juggernaut like Barca.