Desperate Hammers try to lure Barca’s Gomes on loan
WEST HAM, desperate for a defensive midfielder following the breakdown of their efforts to sign William Carvalho, were today hoping to seal a loan deal with Barcelona for Andre Gomes.
Hammers co-owner David Sullivan was working hard to bring 24-year-old Gomes to the London Stadium, following the failure to agree a fee with Sporting Lisbon for fellow Portugal international Carvalho.
Gomes spent three years at Benfica and was a member of the team who won the domestic treble in 2013-14 before joining Valencia, initially on loan and then in a permanent deal.
Barcelona signed him in 2016 for £31.5million, and although he has made 30 appearances for the La Liga giants, he has failed to hold down a regular spot in the side.
Gomes was a member of the squad who won Euro 2016 but , unlike Carvalho, did not feature in the final against France.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, under increasing pressure after failing to win a league game this season and seeing his side concede 10 goals, will be hoping that a loan deal for Gomes can be finalised before the window closes.
The East London club had been pursuing Carvalho, their first choice, for much of the summer, but could not agree a fee. Sporting were adamant they wanted close to £40m for the player — about £5m more than West Ham were prepared to pay.
Diafra Sakho, meanwhile, looks likely to stay at West Ham, despite the Senegal striker initiating a move to French club Rennes.
Sakho, who has just returned from a serious back problem, was said to be angry at being left out of West Ham’s team at Newcastle last weekend, after playing — and scoring — against Chel- tenham in the Carabao Cup during the previous midweek.
The striker, who made a big impact when he signed for West Ham from Metz in 2014, scoring in each of his first six matches, went as far as arranging his own medical in France before being told by the club that they would not sanction the proposed £9m move.
Crystal Palace were also reported to be interested in signing Sakho, and were willing to pay £10m to secure the deal.
West Ham would let Sakho go at the right price but feel they would not have enough time to sign a replacement, so prefer to keep him for now.
A reported loan move for winger Kevin Mirallas has been rejectedted by Everton, while West Ham centralentral defender Jose Fonte, who hass been linked with a return to Palace, is to stay at the club.
Portuguese teenager Domingos gos Quina has gone on a season-long ng loan to Sheffield United.