Manchester United are rumoured to be looking to Wolves for a midfield signing who could be a long term solution for the club.
The Mirror reports that Manchester United are running the rule over Wolves’ £40 million-rated midfield maestro Joao Gomes. And we can see why.
The Red Devils could move on from Christian Eriksen, Sofyan Amrabat and Casemiro during their first summer under INEOS control. And Gomes appears to possess most – if not all – of the attributes the club’s new decision-makers are looking out for.
If the rumours are to be believed, Ineosare prioritising young, hungry, proven Premier League operators. Players capable of contributing both technically and physically. No wonder Joao Gomes, blossoming into one of the the most complete midfielders in the country, has joined Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise near the top of United’s wishlist.
Manchester United like Wolves’ Joao Gomes
“I think, to fit into a Gary O’Neil team, you have to basically hand yourself over and work as a team-mate.
“You have to be combative, which is what he does, you have to win the ball back. (Gomes) likes to get forward, he likes to get back, he’s box-to-box,” Ben Foster, the former Man United goalkeeper, tells the Premier League YouTube channel.
“He’s a very typical, workmanlike Gary O’Neil type of player, and he’s going up the other end of the pitch and scoring goals too.
“They’ve got a serious player on their hands. He looks like a perfect fit for Wolves. The Gary O’Neil type of player is exactly what Joao Gomes is as well.”
A ‘perfect fit’ for Wolves he may be, but Gomes may also be the ideal addition to a Man United side in line for a long overdue overhaul of their playing staff under INEOS. Man United’s midfield has been overrun almost from minute one this season – Gomes shining during Wolves’ unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford on the opening day – and signing the tireless Brazil international should go a long way towards correcting that issue.
Foster was asked about Casemiro on The United Stand, and expressed doubt over whether the goalkeeper still has what it takes.
He said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Man United or Chelsea, it can be Fulham, I don’t care. If you’re that holding midfielder, that central midfielder, you work.
“It’s a given that your main job role is to work, to get about the pitch, you’ve got to be mobile, be energetic. You’ve got to shut people down and be that disruptor.
“And if he’s not doing that, you don’t deserve to be in that position.”
Joao Gomes key traits
Only Fulham’s Joao Palhinha averages more tackles per game than Gomes (3.8) in the Premier League this season (WhoScored). The £15 million signing from Flamengo is not merely a destroyer, however. He scored a brace during Wolves’ 2-1 win at Tottenham in February, showcasing his growing influence in the attacking third even if those defensive skills remain his stand-out attributes.
Gomes’ ‘Pitbull’ nickname, meanwhile, certainly paints the picture of a man capable of stepping into the shoes of hisveteran compatriot Casemiro. Of course, the former has a long way to go to match the latter’s achievements in the game.
But Mauricio Souza, the 23-year-old’s former coach at Flamengo, feels Gomes is certainly on the right track.
“He is the player who really disarms, who tries to steal the ball, tries to disarm. He is among the best in the world at disarming the opponent,” Gomes’ former coach Maurizio Souza tells Premier League Brasil.
“Joao has always been very technical. A player who played in more midfield positions, as first, second or even a little further forward, because he has technical quality (and) has a good shot.”