According to Football London, Tottenham are keeping close tabs on Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez ahead of the January transfer window, with the Lilywhites looking to sign a backup centre-forward for Harry Kane.
The same report claims that West Ham had failed with a £26.5 million bid to land the Uruguayan in the summer with the Spanish club wanting as much as £44.5 million to let go of their prized asset.
Maxi Gomez made his move to Celta Vigo last season from Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting and was an instant hit the La Liga. The 22-year-old made a name for himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the Spanish top flight in his debut season, scoring as many as 17 goals and providing 4 assists from 36 appearances.
Gomez’s heroics in front of goal for Celta Vigo earned him a call-up to Uruguay’s squad for the 2018 World Cup and the youngster has hit the ground running this season as well. The Uruguayan ace has scored 6 goals and has set up another 4 goals from 10 appearances in the La Liga this season.
Standing at a little over 6ft., Gomez is not particularly tall for a centre-forward but he has the ability to dominate the opposition in the air, owing to his athleticism which allows him to get off the ground quickly and time his jump to perfection. The 22-year-old averages 4.2 successful aerial duels this season in the La Liga.
A fast, agile and technically-gifted centre-forward, Gomez is known for his ability to make subtle runs behind the defenders and excels with his clinical nature in front of goal. In fact, he is so good with his technique and has such a deadly eye for goal that he does not hesitate to take first-time shots inside the box without even taking a touch.
Blessed with the perfect instincts of a centre-forward, he tends to cause a lot of problems for the defenders with his agility, awareness and fleet-footed nature, which allows him to weave his way past his defensive counterparts with a touch of elegance.
The Uruguayan is also known for his mobility as a centre-forward and has the ability to link-up effectively with his teammates, making him a difficult player to mark and also an efficient assist-provider. Furthermore, he has the vision to play his teammates in behind the opposition’s backline with incisive passes.
To put things into perspective, he would be a good signing for any of the top clubs in the Premier League but Everton should try to use their financial muscle to beat Spurs in this transfer saga.
Everton were a bit slow to start off in the Premier League under Marco Silva but the Toffees have done reasonably well in recent weeks. Marco Silva’s men climbed to 6th in the standings with a 1-0 win over Cardiff City this week, Gylfi Sigurdsson being the man on target for the Toffees.
Marco Silva should be a happy man given that all his summer signings have hit the ground running, with all of them making an impact to varying degrees. While new signings Richarlison, Bernard and Andre Gomes have done really well for Everton, Marco Silva have been found wanting for a centre-forward. Everton have suffered due to the lacklustre displays of Cenk Tosun and the Toffees don’t have any quality replacements for the Turkish international.
The 27-year-old has failed to justify the huge money that the Merseysiders paid for him in January and they should not hesitate to offload him in order to fund a move for Maxi Gomez. Everton clearly need more firepower up front to qualify for the Europa League next season and Gomez fits the bill.
The 22-year-old Uruguayan ticks all the boxes to be a perfect fit at Goodison Park and that said, Everton should try to beat Spurs and have the final say in this transfer tussle.