Aston Villa have completed the signing of Brazil midfielder, Joao Gomes, from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth up to £38 million as the Premier League club continues to strengthen its squad ahead of the new season.
The 25-year-old joins Villa for an initial fee of £34 million, with a further £4 million in performance-related add-ons. He becomes Villa’s latest midfield addition following the club’s record transfer for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi earlier this week.
Gomes’ arrival comes as Aston Villa reshapes its midfield following a series of departures and injuries.
Belgium international Amadou Onana has been ruled out until next year after sustaining a serious knee injury during the FIFA World Cup, creating a significant gap in Villa’s midfield options.
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The club has also sold Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for £35 million, while Morgan Rogers is expected to complete a £117 million move to Chelsea after both clubs reached an agreement.
Villa also beat competition from Newcastle United to sign Switzerland international Johan Manzambi in a deal worth more than £50 million, underlining the club’s ambition to strengthen its squad.
Spanish club Atletico Madrid had also expressed interest in signing Gomes, but Aston Villa moved quickly to secure the midfielder’s services.
Gomes left Wolves’ pre-season training camp in Portugal on Thursday to undergo a medical before completing the transfer to Villa Park.
Despite Wolves finishing at the bottom of the Premier League last season, Gomes emerged as one of the club’s brightest performers.
The Brazilian made 41 appearances in all competitions during the campaign and was voted Wolves’ Player of the Year by the club.
Since joining Wolves from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2023, Gomes made 130 appearances and scored seven goals.
Known for his ball-winning ability, energy and tactical discipline, Gomes has also established himself as a regular member of Brazil’s national team.
Wolves technical director Matt Jackson praised Gomes’ professionalism and backed him to succeed at Aston Villa.
“Joao deserves everything he gets from the game. He’s a model professional, a lovely young man and a great family man.
“He’s the type of professional coaches love and players love, so he will go on to be the outstanding player that we know he is.
“We’re obviously sorry to see him go, but we have to take responsible decisions for the football club, and then we build to be stronger collectively.
“It’s a very natural part of football – the best run football clubs who don’t have unlimited resources have to work this way.
“The model is something that we have to adopt, and our fans have always been hugely understanding of that.”
The signing of Gomes reflects Aston Villa’s aggressive recruitment strategy as the club prepares for another campaign in domestic and European competitions.
Villa have been among the Premier League’s busiest clubs in the transfer market, investing heavily in midfield reinforcements while balancing the departures of several key players.
With Gomes now added to the squad, Villa will hope the Brazil international can help fill the void left by injuries and outgoing
