Barca seal shock £42m Gomes signing

Barcelona has pinched the signing of highly rated Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes right under the nose of Real Madrid.

The club announced the news on their website late on Thursday night, with the club forking out a fee of £42-million to Valencia to complete the deal.

‘FC Barcelona and Valencia CF have reached an agreement that will bring Andre Gomes to the Catalan capital. Gomes will formalise the deal and be officially presented as a new FC Barcelona player next week,’ the statement read.

The Euro 2016 winner came through the ranks of Portuguese outfit Porto before joining rivals Benfica in 2012 before spending two seasons at Valencia. The star had reportedly been close to joining Barcelona’s nemesis Real Madrid.

Gomes featured 30 times for Valencia in La Liga last season, scoring and assisting three goals and assists apiece.

The midfielder joins the likes of Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, and Denis Suarez as Barca’s other new signings.