As Rafael Benitez continues to attempt to balance the books at Everton, midfield star, Andre Gomes, is thought to be one of the players that could be sacrificed in order that the club can align with Financial Fair Play.
The former Benfica and Barcelona midfielder has had a reasonable career on the blue half of Merseyside without ever being a real star player, and given his salary, the Toffees appear willing to cut their losses.
According to the Liverpool ECHO, a switch back to Benfica has been mooted, however, David Novo, the executive editor of Record, the major sports newspaper in Portugal, doesn’t believe it will happen.
“Of course in theory a return to Portugal might be something that could work out for him in terms of being a regular option for a big team in a championship he knows,” he told the Liverpool ECHO.
“We’ve seen the rumours about Benfica but that looks like something that could be difficult to make happen they have a lot of options in midfield.”
Gomes will be a solid enough exponent if he stays at Goodison Park, and if things were different in terms of the financial issues at the club, it would be a no brainer for him to be kept.
However, Benitez has a race against time to ensure that his new employers are in the best shape possible ahead of the start of the new season and by the end of the transfer window, and if that means offloading one or two players, so be it.