André Gomes has reportedly told West Ham he would rather go to Everton after the Hammers had improved their offer to Barcelona for the midfielder.
With Gomes being the club’s main midfield target, what do West Ham do now?
Simply put, they move on to another target; there has been some debate as to whether the Hammers should offer him more money, but that will likely be a waste of time.
Gomes’ loan at Everton has helped him mentally, something he is seemingly and understandably keen to repay them for.
The most striking feature of West Ham’s business this summer is how quickly they have made their moves, and they should also apply that here.
Rather than dwelling on the Gomes deal, West Ham can go about securing other targets, with Kevin Strootman and Jonjo Shelvey among those who have been linked with the Hammers so far this window.
Mario Husillos and his team shouldn’t just desperately go for anyone now that the Gomes move is unlikely, but they will probably have prepared for this situation, drawing up a list of potential targets.
This should now be used rather than waiting on the slim chance Gomes may change his mind. It is an important transfer window for West Ham and those in charge need to be as efficient as possible.
