Revealed: Everton agree £53m deal for player in fee & wages
EXCLUSIVE By Wayne Veysey
Everton are set to pay at least £53million to seal the signing of Andre Gomes from Barcelona, Football Insider understands.
The Merseysiders have reached a verbal agreement with the Spanish giants to pay an initial £22million for the central midfielder as he gets his wish to convert his last-season loan into a permanent transfer.
A Spanish source has told Football Insider that Gomes, 25, has also agreed a five-year contract worth £120,000-a-week, totalling £31million over the entirety of the deal.
The combined cost of fee and wages will be further increased by performance-related add-ons, which could hand Barcelona a further £9million in the coming years.
Gomes will also pocket even more cash through bonuses as he immediately joins the top earners at Goodison Park, who include 2018 signings Yerry Mina, Richarlison, Theo Walcott and Bernard, along with Jordan Pickford and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who joined the previous summer.
Everton manager Marco Silva made no secret of his desire to sign Gomes permanently after being impressed by the midfielder's classy performances once he recovered from a hamstring problem when he initially joined last summer.
The Portugal international also attracted interest from West Ham, who have lodged a £21million bid, as well as Tottenham, but Everton are confident of finalising the transfer.
Supporters may have to wait until next week for an announcement as there is still some paperwork to be completed before Gomes is unveiled.