Aston Villa are close to signing Wolves midfielder Joao Gomez, who is reportedly keen on a move to Liverpool.
The Brazilian midfielder has quietly developed into one of the Premier League’s most reliable ball-winners and, at 25, is entering the best years of his career.
Since joining from Flamengo in January 2023, he has made 130 appearances for Wolves, scoring eight goals and providing six assists, despite playing as a defensive midfielder.
He also came to England with a great pedigree. Gomez earned his first Brazilian cap in 2022 after winning the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo, establishing himself as one of his country’s best young midfielders.
Adapting to the Premier League has never been easy, but he has quickly become one of Wolves’ most reliable performers and consistently one of the top names on the team sheet.
Could he have improved Liverpool? Probably, but only in certain roles.
Ryan Gravenbirch and Alexis Mac Allister have already shown quality on the ball, and Dominik Szoboszlai, who has just signed a new long-term contract, provides further energy going forward.
Gomez would have added more aggression and ball-winning ability, giving Liverpool more protection in difficult away games and against Europe’s best opponents.
That’s exactly why Aston Villa’s move makes so much sense.
Gomez ticks all the boxes and while replacing a player like Youri Tielemans is never easy, the Brazilian brings a variety of strengths. He covers vast areas of the pitch, splitting up the attack and allowing his creative teammates greater freedom higher up the field.
According to WhoScored, only Joao Parinha and Everton’s James Garner averaged more tackles per 90 than South American players in the Premier League last season, which tells you everything you need to know.
Number of tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season | total |
|---|---|
1. Joao Parinha (Tottenham) | 3.3 |
2. James Garner (Everton) | 3.2 |
3. Joao Gomez (Wolves) | 3.1 |
4. Kenny Tete (Fulham) | 3 |
5. Florentino (Burnley) | 2.9 |
It’s no surprise that the next step was to take place at Villa Park rather than Anfield, but it wasn’t necessarily the player’s wish.
Joao Gomez wants to move to Liverpool before confirming move to Aston Villa
According to Football Transfers, Liverpool were given the opportunity to sign Gomez but decided not to pursue a deal, instead making Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton their priority target.
This is despite the fact that Gomez himself was very keen to sign for Andoni Iraola’s team at the time.
This decision prompted Villa to move quickly to agree a deal with Wolves worth around £35m. Manager Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed Villa’s agreement and Gomez’s move is close to being completed.
Liverpool’s recruitment team reportedly admire Gomez but ultimately believe Wharton is the better fit for the team’s long-term direction.
For Villa, this will be an important undertaking following Tielemans’ departure. Emery wanted a proven Premier League midfielder who could contribute immediately upon arrival, and Gomez fit that profile perfectly.
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Liverpool supporters may wonder if the club have missed an opportunity, but Wharton would be a great addition if they can afford the £100m asking price.
Whether it is the right decision will become clearer once Gomez begins life at Villa Park.
