Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan has claimed that Liverpool were interested in signing soon-to-be Everton midfielder Andre Gomes.
Sky Sports reported last week that the Reds’ fierce rivals have agreed a £22million deal with Barcelona for the midfielder, who spent this season on loan at Goodison Park. However, BBC pundit Whelan believes Jurgen Klopp’s team were also in the hunt.
“Everton are getting a great player there,” he told Football Insider. “He is one of those players who is a class act and who will be even more effective in his second season than in his first.
“Lots of teams looked at him – Tottenham, West Ham, even Liverpool wanted him at one point. That tells you a lot. Midfielders who are physical, can mix it, cover the pitch and have the technical ability to operate in tight space and put the ball on a sixpence are worth their weight in gold.”
OPINION
This is an interesting one from Whelan, and you wonder how he knows that Liverpool were in for Gomes. In the past there have been reports that both Tottenham and West Ham were interested in Gomes, but the Reds have never really been mentioned in connection with the Portuguese international. The Barca man is a quality player, incredibly gifted technically who enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in the Premier League. However, he’s someone who has always seemed to be destined for a return to the blue half of Merseyside. Would Liverpool have really considered a move for him? Would he even get in Jurgen Klopp’s team? For all his quality, he’s not got the engine and the pressing style of play you need to be a success under the German. He’s more of a Dimitar Berbatov-as-a-central midfielder type of player, and that sort of style is not what you’d usually associate with Klopp’s side.
