Joao Gomes is poised to join Aston Villa in a £38m deal that underlines the club’s urgent need to reinforce a midfield decimated by the World Cup. The Brazil international has left Wolves’ training camp in Portugal and will have a medical on Thursday, with the transfer worth an initial £34m plus £4m in add-ons.
Villa’s scramble for midfielders follows two major blows. Youri Tielemans was sold to Manchester United for £35m, while Amadou Onana – who suffered the most serious World Cup injury of any Premier League player – ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during Belgium’s 4-1 win over the USA and is ruled out until next year. Onana’s absence leaves a gaping hole in Unai Emery’s squad, with the club already carrying one of the heaviest World Cup workloads: Villa’s players have clocked more than 2,500 minutes in the tournament.
“Joao Gomes will join Aston Villa for £38m after Wolves relegation, with a medical on Thursday.”
Gomes made 41 appearances for Wolves last season as they finished bottom of the Premier League. He played 130 times for the club, scoring seven goals, after joining from Flamengo in 2023. Atletico Madrid had been keen on the 24-year-old but did not finalise a deal. Villa are also close to completing the signing of Switzerland international Johan Manzambi for a club record fee of over £50m from Freiburg.
The World Cup has taken a toll across the league. Manchester City top the workload chart with 5,027 minutes; Arsenal are second with 4,285. Liverpool, Villa and Manchester United all exceed 2,500. Injuries have mounted: Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte picked up a knee problem with Uruguay, Brentford’s Jordan Henderson broke his arm celebrating England’s win over Mexico, and Andy Robertson – who moved from Liverpool to Tottenham this summer – suffered a suspected right ankle injury against Brazil. “Personally, time will tell,” Robertson told the BBC after his Scotland elimination.
For Villa, the immediate priority is plugging the gap left by Onana and Tielemans. Gomes, a combative midfielder with proven Premier League experience, fits the profile. His arrival – alongside Manzambi if the record deal goes through – could reshape Emery’s options before the new season begins, with just 33 days between the World Cup final and the start of the Premier League campaign.