Arsenal have joined Manchester United in the pursuit of Porto winger William Gomes, according to Globo Esporte.
The 20-year-old had a superb breakthrough season with the Portuguese champions last term, registering 13 goals and two assists from 2,157 minutes across all competitions.
His progress has caught the eye of Arsenal, United as well as Atletico Madrid. All three clubs have now spoken with the player’s representatives to gather information.
Porto, on their side, don’t seem in a rush to sell after Champions League qualification. The youngster has a £69 million release clause in his contract valid until June 2029.
Corriere da Manha recently claimed that Porto won’t entertain his exit this summer unless they receive at least £52m, given his former club Sao Paulo are owed 20 percent of the sell-on fee.
Gomes speculation could be agent-driven
The Sao Paulo graduate played only 38 percent of the club’s league minutes last term, but made a good impression. He also dazzled in the Europa League, scoring in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the quarter-final.
Gomes has impressed with his long-range shooting, which will have grabbed attention. Despite this, we don’t see the Gunners making a huge outlay based on a solitary season. They were probably in contact with his camp with a view to a future move.
Arsenal previously signed Fabio Vieira from Porto after a fine breakthrough campaign, but he never really made his mark under manager Mikel Arteta. Hence, the club may not rush into any decision regarding Gomes, particularly with the hefty price tag (£52m).
His agent is probably behind the transfer story to generate interest from other top European clubs. Even if Arsenal have explored the player, a move does not make sense, given Gomes is a specialist left-footed right-winger. The Gunners have the position well covered.
Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are competing for places, while Max Dowman or Ethan Nwaneri can play there. We could say the same for United with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Shea Lacey in their squad. It seems unlikely that either club will make a formal approach.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com