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Wanderers are delighted to confirm a major piece of summer transfer business with the signing of Luton Town forward Carlos Mendes Gomes.
Mendes Gomes joins Wanderers from the newly-promoted Premier League club for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.
The 24-year-old becomes the Whites’ seventh signing of the summer transfer window and returns to the North-West after starting his EFL career with Morecambe.
Mendes Gomes’ performances – and goals – in a three-year stay at Morecambe earned him a move to the Championship with Luton in June, 2021 after he had helped the Shrimps win promotion, along with the Whites, from League Two as their top scorer with 16 goals.
The versatile forward, who has played in the central attacking midfield positions as well as a centre-forward and out wide, helped Luton reach the Championship play-offs in 2021/22.
After a goal-scoring League Cup appearance for the Hatters at the start of last season, he then spent the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Fleetwood Town, where he scored nine goals in 37 appearances.
His seven goals in League One – including a stunning strike against Wanderers at the Highbury Stadium – helped Fleetwood secure a mid-table finish as Mendes Gomes finished as the club’s top scorer.
The Senegal-born player – a Spanish national who grew up in Manchester and was first spotted playing for West Didsbury and Chorlton in the North-West Counties League – has been a long-standing target for the Whites and is a key acquisition ahead of the new season.
“He’s someone who has been on our radar for a long time and someone I have admired since that season together in League Two,” said Wanderers’ manager Ian Evatt.
“This is an important deal for us and I’m grateful to the Board for allowing us to get it done.
“Carlos is coming to us from a Premier League club with experience of playing in the Championship and League One.
“He’s a proven performer in our current division and, at just 24, someone we believe is capable of going higher again and progressing on this journey with us.
“He is a multi-functional player who can play in a number of attacking positions, who will add variety, pace and the ability to dribble and drive past defenders, which is something we’ve been looking to add.
“He can also create and score goals, as we’ve seen first-hand, and is someone who will excite the fans as a big addition to the squad.”
Mendes Gomes trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Monday and could be involved in the squad when Wanderers face Everton in a pre-season friendly at the Toughsheet Community Stadium tomorrow (Tuesday) night.