Debt-ridden Fiorentina have had the threat of bankruptcy hanging over them for months and could go under unless they raise £8m by the end of this month.
Further loans are believed to have been secured to buy them more time, but they remain vulnerable to anyone trying to pick off their main assets at rock-bottom prices.
A figure of around £4m should be enough to broker a deal and help Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle avoid a crisis in the coming season.
With Les Ferdinand almost 36 and Sergei Rebrov clearly out of favour, Hoddle is acutely aware of the need for a goalscorer. He has been hampered by a lack of funds, however.
He was one of several Premiership managers to check on Robbie Keane but, even at a relatively modest £8m, was forced to concede that Leeds United's Republic of Ireland striker was out of reach.
Gomes was a target for Liverpool last season but ruled himself out of a move, He said at the time: 'I want to stay at Fiorentina. If ever I had to leave, I would remain in Italy or return to Portugal.'
