Everton must decide whether to give midfielder second chance after successful loan

“I have no idea (what comes next), at the end of the season, we will see.”

These were the words of Andre Gomes speaking in April and now the midfielder is set to return to Everton following a seemingly successful spell in France, but where does his future lie?

His last Everton involvement came under Frank Lampard in late-August where he was ununsed substitute in the 1-1 draw away at Leeds United, but he was once a key starter at the club, especially under Carlo Ancelotti. Prior to the Leeds game, he also struggled for game-time during the 2021/22 season playing less than 1000 minutes across all competitions featuring just four times in their final 13 games in which they survived relegation under Lampard.

The former Barcelona player joined Everton in 2017 in a deal worth £25m and he’s gone onto make 100 appearances for the club, but now his Everton future is uncertain to say the least. In order to reignite his career, he headed out on loan to Ligue 1 last year and started 18 times across 26 league appearances where he did impress over the course of the season.

That includes a man of the match performance during an away win over Rennes in which he scored an 8/10 from the notoriously hard-to-impress newspaper L’Equipe. He also registered two assists in a 4-3 loss to the Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in another eye-catching effort.

And now, according to Foot Mercato, Lille will “try everything” to retain Gomes next season, but there is no option-to-buy in that deal which makes their pursuit all the more difficult as he will return to Everton. With just one year left on his current deal, a decision will have to be made this summer deciding his future.

Looking at his statistics, he’s shown plenty of strengths, especially on the ball last season. He ranked between the 83rd-96th percentiles for non-penalty goals, successful take-ons, pass completion, progressive passes and passes attempted. There’s no doubting that there is still a lot of quality within his play and if Dele Alli can get a second chance this pre-season, then surely Gomes deserves one too. After all, he has a great affinity for the club and the fans and claimed he was ‘very attached’ to the club.

Speaking in April, he said: “I have no idea (what comes next), at the end of the season, we will see. I want Lille to qualify for Europe and Everton to finish in a good position. I’m taking my time and enjoying my football, getting confidence back.” Fast forward to now, and Lille have qualified, Everton survived and he looks to have re-gained his confidence - but it’s now down to the club to decide whether he gets a second chance at Goodison Park.