Scouting Juventus Transfer Target Andre Gomes

It appears Juventus are determined to conclude their transfer business early this summer. With Miralem Pjanic already signed, the Bianconeri have seemingly been working hard to strengthen their squad further still.

The Bosnian midfielder should—as discussed in this previous post—provide coach Massimiliano Allegri with some much-needed tactical flexibility. But director general Beppe Marotta and sporting director Fabio Paratici have been busy trying to secure other options.

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Sassuolo star Domenico Berardi was believed to be a major target, but the 21-year-old would reportedly prefer to remain with the Neroverdi. Writing on the website of Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, translator David Amoyal relayed news that the two clubs had agreed to wait another year before moving him to Turin.

Seeking an alternative, Juventus are believed to have made a second attempt on Valencia’s Andre Gomes. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express), the Italian champions—who had a previous offer of £23 million knocked back—returned with an improved bid of £31 million this week.

The same source notes both Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in the Portugal international, who's currently representing his country at the 2016 UEFA European Championship and playing well despite his side’s early struggles.

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In light of the issues Valencia have endured over the past 12 months, out-performing those around him has become something of a recurring theme for the 22-year-old. But it's a far cry from the early success he enjoyed with former club Benfica.

Gomes broke into the first team at the Estadio da Luz back in 2012, going on to make 23 appearances in all competitions as they secured a domestic treble two years later. He would then move on loan to Valencia; the move was made permanent in the summer of 2015, much to his delight as he told the club’s official website:

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I am very happy to belong completely to the Valencia CF family. I have always been calm about things, because what I wanted was to continue here and it is what the club wanted as well. I can only thank the fans and my teammates for making me so happy. Now I hope to repay the confidence placed in me by playing good football and achieving good results.

"

Yet he struggled with injuries as the 2014/15 campaign ended. Unable to enjoy a full pre-season, he lost form but seemingly rediscovered it suddenly in an October victory against Malaga, playing 80 minutes and giving the fans of Los Che a complete showcase of his talents.

As the FourFourTwo StatsZone graphic below shows, Gomes scored a sensational goal with his only shot of the game and completed 35 of his 41 pass attempts (85.4 percent). He also made two take-ons and showed good defensive awareness to register one interception, block one cross and recover the ball four times.

“That Andre Gomes is the Valencia player with the most class is no secret,” Ruben Uria of Spanish news outlet Cadena Ser (h/t FourFourTwo) noted after the game. “Nor that he is on his way to becoming one of the best in La Liga.”

By the end of the season the Grijo native had made 37 appearances in all competitions, weighing in with five goals—including that stunning effort against Malaga shown below—and four assists despite playing under four different managers as Valencia stumbled to a 12th-place finish.

According to WhoScored.com, only three players at the club completed more passes than Gomes’ average of 43.1 per game in La Liga, with the midfielder connecting with 81 percent of those attempts.

The same source shows that he also completed 1.7 dribbles per game while recording averages of 1.1 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per outing. Furthermore, as the Squawka.com graphic below highlights, only two Valencia players—Daniel Parejo and Paco Alcacer—created more scoring opportunities for their team-mates.

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Those figures reinforce the view of the player as a potent attacking force, a powerful runner on-the-ball who has excellent control and a superb array of tricks to beat a defender. He also has a fine range of passing, able to either maintain the tempo of his side’s approach or pick out a runner to carve open the opposition defence.

Yet what is truly interesting to note is that as the competition becomes more difficult, the more Gomes appears to thrive. As can be seen in the table below—compiled using WhoScored.com statistics—his contribution to Valencia’s Champions League campaign was markedly better than his domestic effort, while his game has gone to yet another level at Euro 2016.

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That bodes well for the Bianconeri should they prove successful in signing the versatile midfielder. He has arguably been Portugal’s best player in France this summer, with his display against Iceland particularly eye-catching.

It was his cross that led to Nani’s goal in what was ultimately a disappointing 1-1 draw for the Selecao, but his overall performance warrants closer attention. According to WhoScored.com, Gomes created a total of five scoring opportunities, connected with 84.9 percent of his 53 pass attempts and completed four dribbles.

The same source shows he also took two shots, and while he was guilty of not tracking back quickly enough on Iceland’s equaliser, he did register two tackles, three interceptions and one clearance, with his display captured in the video below.

Gomes was arguably even better in the second match where Portugal took on Austria. He kept the ball moving as the side sought out space and was at the heart of their most dangerous attacks, while once again getting through his share of defensive work.

As the FourFourTwo StatsZone graphic in the tweet below highlights, he took two shots, completed 48 of his 55 pass attempts (87.3 percent) and completed two of his three take-ons to create two chances. He also won three tackles and made one interception, but sadly was unable to impact the disappointing 0-0 final score.

In Portugal’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Hungary, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani fired them into the knockout stages after some poor overall displays from the team had left them on the brink of elimination. Gomes was overshadowed by his more high-profile compatriots.

Like the rest of the side, Gomes should score more goals. He's often guilty of making an extra pass instead of taking a shot, but that is not likely to be the biggest drawback should Juventus decide to continue their pursuit of the 22-year-old.

He is represented by Jorge Mendes, who will be looking to get maximum value for the player. Valencia are certainly in need of a cash influx, missing out on European football and the financial benefits associated with it.

If Juventus can keep the price to a manageable sum, Gomes would appear to be a smart addition for the Bianconeri as they continue to prepare for the challenges that 2016/17 will present.