Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes has today been linked with a move to Manchester United – and simply put, any decision to offload the Brazilian this summer would be a massive mistake.
Gary O’Neil has Wolves currently sitting in ninth place in the Premier League table, and the manager has guided the club to an FA Cup quarter-final.
The defeat to Coventry City last weekend was a painful one, but on the whole this season has been a huge success, to a lot of people’s surprise.
Many players have been fantastic under O’Neil and undoubtedly, Joao Gomes has absolutely thrived.
Today, it’s been claimed Manchester United have identified him as a long-term replacement for Casemiro, but Wolves must tell the Red Devils, in no uncertain terms, where to go…
Joao Gomes’ market value could soar in the next couple of years at Wolves, it’s far too early to cash in
Gomes only arrived at Wolves in January 2023, signing from Flamengo after French club Lyon tried to hijack the move.
They actually offered Flamengo a bit more money, but the player’s stance is what brought his move to Wolves to fruition. He saw the viral ‘#FreeJoaoGomes’ campaign and was blown away by the support for him to come to Molineux.
Gomes initially had to be a bit patient at Wolves, with Mario Lemina, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho all ahead of him in the pecking order.
But 2023/24 has been his moment, with Neves and Moutinho having left in the summer.
The man they call ‘The Pitbull’ has been wonderful in Wolves’ engine room under the wing of the more experienced Lemina, and has seriously impressed with his ball-winning ability in particular.
He’s been a regular, and has showcased the kind of attributes that help midfielders really excel in the Premier League. His energy, tenacity and combativeness make him a total nightmare for other players to race.
He signed for Wolves for £15 million and he is easily worth at least triple that fee by now. There is simply no need for Wolves to be thinking about cashing in this summer. Because his market value could genuinely soar if they keep hold of him for another couple of years. And Wolves should definitely look to do that, with the player under contract until 2028.
Joao Gomes can become like Ruben Neves
Gomes has directly replaced Ruben Neves for Wolves, even taking his old number eight shirt.
Quite possibly, he could follow a similar path to the Portuguese star at Molineux in terms of becoming loved by the Molineux faithful.
The £30,000-a-week star got off to a great start with the way he orchestrated his own transfer to the club, and his performances on the pitch have quickly endeared him to the supporters.
He stands to become another Neves in that, he could potentially become the next darling of Molineux and absolutely idolised.
Wolves cannot be entertaining offers for him this summer. There will be interest, but Fosun must not be tempted – despite their desire for the club to be self-sustaining.
Patience is required over Gomes. It’s time to enjoy him for a while, before making a huge sale in at least a couple of years.
Of course, there is always the potential for any player to push for an exit.
But Gomes has never given the impression he’s unhappy at Wolves. On the contrary, you can tell how much he loves being a part of that dressing room and the project in general. Surely, leaving so soon will not be on his mind.