Manchester United is making another push for Joao Gomes, and this time the price tag finally makes sense for a club that’s been circling this guy for years. With Wolves getting relegated to the Championship, the midfielder is suddenly available for around £30 million — a significant drop from the £40 million valuation that had Atletico Madrid sniffing around earlier this summer.
According to Football Insider, United sees this as the moment to finally land a player they’ve had on their radar for multiple windows. It helps that Wolves are in seller mode, publicly signaling that Gomes can go for the right offer. The Brazilian is still just 25 years old, fits the profile INEOS usually targets, and has been stuck in limbo since his move to Atletico fell apart this summer.
That deal cratered for a weird reason. Atletico wasn’t happy with how Gomes’s agent, Jorge Mendes, handled Bernardo Silva’s rejection of the club in favor of Real Madrid’s local rivals. So instead of signing Gomes, they went for Sporting CP’s captain. United is happy to step in where Atletico balked.
The Red Devils are already bringing in a bunch of midfield help. Youri Tielemans is coming in on a £35 million release clause from Aston Villa, a move that breaks United’s usual age policy but makes sense given his Premier League experience. Andrey Santos also arrived from Chelsea for £50 million. But the club still needs another body in the middle of the park.
Why the urgency? Casemiro left earlier this month after a difficult season, and Manuel Ugarte is out until well into next year with a serious knee injury. That leaves Michael Carrick’s midfield pretty thin, especially with Champions League games on the schedule. The club thinks Gomes can step in immediately and handle the workload.
Liverpool is also in the mix. New manager Andoni Iraola wants to strengthen his midfield and has made contact with Wolves. But United seems more aggressive on this one. The report says there’s a verbal agreement in place with Tielemans, and the club wants to pair him with Gomes in the same window.
Micah Richards called Gomes a player destined for the top two years ago. He said the kid is going straight to the elite level. That hasn’t happened yet — his path has been slower than expected. But playing in the Champions League at Old Trafford under a former midfield maestro like Carrick? That might be the perfect landing spot for a player who has been knocking on the door for a while now.
Leave a Comment