Arsenal have reportedly ended their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, with Unai Emery happy with the squad at his disposal.

According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Unai Emery has pulled the plug on Arsenal’s pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes. The Arsenal manager has opined that his squad is complete and will only enter the market once again if a big opportunity presents itself.

Gomes has seen his career come to a grinding halt over the last couple of seasons. The move to Barcelona has been nothing short of a nightmare for the player, who has also ended up losing his place in the Portugal National Side due to his struggles at club level.

Heading into this summer’s transfer window, both Barcelona and Gomes have been eager to part ways after a season that saw him start just 10 times across all competitions. The bulk of the interest has been prevalent in the Premier League, with Arsenal the most heavily linked suitors in recent weeks.

Gomes has endured a torrid time with Barcelona. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Gomes has endured a torrid time with Barcelona. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

The Gunners had been in the market for midfield reinforcements this summer, something that became a bit of an urgency upon the departure of Jack Wilshere. But, upon signing Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi, Arsenal seemed to be well stocked in the midfield department.

To the surprise of many though, Arsenal have continued to be linked with a few midfielders in recent weeks, one of them being Andre Gomes. However, Unai Emery has effectively ruled out a move for the Barcelona outcast by iterating that he is satisfied with the squad at his disposal.

“At the moment, I think the squad is complete. We will only sign another player if there is an opportunity to bring in that one player, or two players. We will only sign a player in the next month if he’s a big opportunity.”

The aforementioned opportunity does not seem to be in midfield, despite Aaron Ramsey’s uncertain future. The report also suggests that Arsenal are baulking at Barcelona’s valuation of Gomes, and are unwilling to shell out around €30 million to sign him. The Gunners will now only scour the possibility of adding the Portuguese international, if Barcelona scale down the price considerably.

At the moment though, Arsenal’s pursuit of Gomes looks as good as over. Valencia are interested, albeit in bringing him to Mestalla on a loan deal. The player’s future hangs in the balance, with Barcelona only open to selling him outright instead of sending him out on loan.

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