Barca Boss Ernesto Valverde Reportedly Determined to Keep Andre Gomes at Camp Nou

Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde is reportedly determined to keep Andre Gomes at Camp Nou and is said to have asked club officials not to sell the Portuguese midfielder.

A story from Mundo Deportivo (MD) suggests that a meeting between Valverde, Barça chief executive Oscar Grau and sporting director Pep Segura resulted in the coach making a 'very clear' statement, that he does not want to see Gomes sold.

At the very least, if the board insist on selling the Euro 2016 winner, Valverde apparently wants to see another player of the same quality bought as a direct replacement.

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It is claimed that Barça, seemingly under the instruction of the new coach, rejected a sizeable €45m offer for Gomes in June, coming a time when agent Jorge Mendes was reported by the press to be talking to clubs to find a prospective new home for his client.

MD states that Valverde believes Gomes to be an important player for Barça, despite a difficult start to his career in Catalunya.

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Having arrived from Valencia for €35m, potentially rising to €55m in time, Gomes struggled to cement a regular place under the management of Luis Enrique. He would have been hoping for a fresh start when Valverde was hired, but injury and illness have severely limited him.

After a minor injury in early August, Gomes was subsequently struck down by illness. He later then succumbed to a hamstring problem which had sidelined him since the end of October until a comeback against Sporting CP in the Champions League this week, playing 90 minutes.

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Fully fit, it appears that Valverde does have a place for him. Now that he has shaken off his latest problem, perhaps Barça fans will finally get to see the player they thought their club had signed 17 long months ago.