Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed some joy in the transfer market so far this summer, managing to sign talents such as Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes, while making Tommy Doyle’s loan move from Manchester City a permanent one.
Things are gearing up nicely for Gary O’Neil and his side as they look to crack the top half of the Premier League table next season.
The main question is, can he prevent his prized assets from departing the club this summer?
Wolves could lose one of their best players this summer
Joao Gomes is the man who is in high demand as of late, with several teams showing interest in signing the Old Gold midfielder.
According to Brazilian journalist Valentin Furlan, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are all showing plenty of admiration for the former Flamengo midfielder.
He states that Wolves are not opposed to letting him leave during the current window, and they could demand a transfer fee in the region of £50m to do so.
If O’Neil did sell Gomes in the next few weeks, it wouldn’t be the first time they have lost one of their finest players to a member of the Premier League elite, as Matheus Nunes joined Manchester City last summer after a single season in the Midlands.
Wolves could face another Matheus Nunes situation
The Old Gold signed the Portuguese midfielder from Sporting Club in 2022 for a club-record fee, and he went on to make 41 appearances for the Midlands side before being lured to City in the summer of 2023.
While they made a profit on the player, it is not something which the club will want to undergo again, losing talented youngsters the moment they start to perform and showcase their true potential.
Gomes only cost the Molineux outfit £15m in January 2023 and has since gone on to make a total of 49 appearances since then, emerging as a key player throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Among his teammates, Gomes ranked sixth for key passes per game (0.6) along with ranking first for tackles per game (3.8) in the Premier League last term.
His defensive skills were impressive, and he even ranks in the top 1% when compared to his positional peers for tackles per 90 (4.35) among those in the top five European leagues, showcasing how effective he can be in the middle of the pitch.
It is perhaps no surprise to hear him being described as a “warrior” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2021, as he emerged as a prodigious talent for Flamengo.
Losing him would be a big blow for the club as they seek to improve on a solid debut season under O’Neil.
While they would most certainly receive a substantial fee for the Brazilian, O’Neil’s preference will surely be to keep the midfield dynamo ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, especially if he seeks to break into the top half of the league table.
