Aston Villa strengthens midfield with João Gomes
Aston Villa strengthens midfield with João Gomes
Aston Villa has completed the signing of Brazil international João Gomes from Wolves in a £38m deal. The 25-year-old midfielder, who has 10 international caps, concludes a three-and-a-half-year period with Wolves, where he made 130 appearances after transferring from Flamengo.
Gomes’s move to Villa Park occurs as Morgan Rogers is reportedly close to a £117m transfer to Chelsea. The acquisition of Gomes is part of Villa’s ongoing midfield adjustments.
Matt Jackson, the technical director at Wolves, commented on Gomes, stating that he is a professional whom both coaches and players appreciate, and he is expected to continue developing into an outstanding player.
Gomes’s playing style and impact
Gomes is known for his combative style of play, earning him the nickname ‘The Pitbull’. Over the past three Premier League seasons, he has recorded 380 tackles, which is 83 more than any other player in the competition. He has also recovered possession more times than any other Premier League player during this period.
His ability to win the ball back was a significant asset for Wolves. Despite the team’s struggles, Gomes was among the top 10 players in the Premier League for expected goals created following his interceptions. His approach is described as front-footed, and he covers ground effectively, differing from a traditional holding midfielder.
Gomes pressured opposition players 1646 times last season, exceeding the numbers of any Aston Villa player under Unai Emery. He also demonstrates skill as a ball carrier, averaging nearly 20 carries per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season.
While his passing range has not been a primary focus of praise, Gomes is considered a reliable distributor of the ball. He is one of only a few Premier League players who have outperformed their expected pass completion by four percentage points in each of the last three seasons, suggesting potential for further development with improved team support.
Manchester United’s transfer considerations
Meanwhile, Manchester United is evaluating options to bolster their squad. The club is monitoring Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson as potential left-back additions to compete with Luke Shaw.
Hall has made a positive impression at Newcastle since his loan from Chelsea for the 2023-24 season, which led to a permanent transfer for £28m plus £7m in add-ons. The 21-year-old has four England caps and is under contract until June 2029.
Robinson, who joined Fulham from Wigan for £2m in August 2020, was part of Mauricio Pochettino’s USA squad, making four appearances. Robinson will be 29 next month, which is older than United’s typical player profile, and his contract is set to expire in June 2028.
Manchester United has also signed Tynan Thompson, an winger, from Tottenham for an initial fee of approximately £4m, with potential add-ons of up to £4m based on first-team achievements. Tottenham retains matching rights and a 15% sell-on clause. Thompson played times for England’s under-18 side, scoring 13 goals and providing six assists at youth level for Tottenham last season, including seven goals in seven Uefa Youth League games.
In other news, Lisandro Martínez was substituted in the 41st minute of Argentina’s 1-0 World Cup final defeat against Spain due to an injury. The severity of his injury is yet to be determined by Manchester United.
Manchester United is also looking to sign a third midfielder following the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
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Source: theguardian.com
