Arsenal: Andre Gomes can one-up Ever Banega hopes

Arsenal were linked to Ever Banega in a curious, yet remarkably practical move, but with that fading and Andre Gomes emerging, the stakes are raised.

There is a certain magic in practicality. This is one thing I will give the new transfer team at Arsenal. They know what they want and need and they are going to get it. But it isn’t just what they want and need, it’s what the team wants and needs.

As I’ve mentioned previously, it isn’t like all-too-recent transfer windows, where a player was the right player just because he played the right position (Danny Welbeck).

Now, a player has to be the right player because he is the right player. There is no other way around solving something.

Related Story: Arsenal's End Of Season Player Rankings

Ever Banega may not have been an inspiring link for many fans, but practically speaking, you can’t do much more. With Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla both leaving, the need for a central midfielder with versatility and experience was pretty important.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Hence, Banega. Past his prime, but still a respectable force that showed at the World Cup for Argentina, Banega would have been for the midfield what Sokratis was for the defense – a safe bet, a reliable option, someone you could just count on.

Yet those rumors faded among claims that Sevilla did not want to part with him and, in their stead, in come the Andre Gomes rumors. And just like that, we’ve seen a steady, reliable option turn into a steady, reliable option with a lot more hope and promise for the future.

Andre Gomes has been staking his claim at Barcelona, but as can often be the case at the Catalans, things can get clogged up. If you aren’t one of the stars of the show, you can get lost in the shuffle. That’s what happened to Alexis Sanchez (but let’s not talk about him).

Next: Arsenal Complete 2017/18 Player Ratings

Gomes can slide into the Banega role, but with more hope of something better. With the dynamic shapings of this midfield falling into place, Gomes is an augmentation on an already stoic midfield that has another five, six years of being a strong, cohesive unit. That is, assuming all goes well with the near future.