The £44m Baleba alternative that could tighten up Manchester United’s midfieldplaceholder image
The £44m Baleba alternative that could tighten up Manchester United’s midfield | AFP via Getty Images
Manchester United have been linked with yet another midfielder this January - but will this rumour prove true?
Manchester United might just have started to turn a corner under Ruben Amorim, but few at Old Trafford think that the rebuilding work is done – and it’s likely that the Red Devils work to find some new signings this January, with a central midfielder at the top of the shopping list.
While the club are keen on adding young, high-end players such as Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton, the reality is that the club are unlikely to be in a financial position to make such deals happen this winter. That may be why recent rumours have linked United with a slightly more budget-friendly alternative – Wolverhampton Wanderers’ João Gomes.
Why Manchester United are being linked with Wolves midfielder João Gomes
Although results have improved over recent weeks, Manchester United’s midfielders have struggled to adapt to Amorim’s two-man system – a set-up which not demands each of the central pair to cover considerable amounts of ground, to be destructive out of possession and to be capable of getting the ball quickly to the attacking players once the ball has been won.
It’s a tall order for older players like Casemiro, who lacks the motor to keep at it for a full 90 minutes, or for more technical players like Kobbie Mainoo who thrive in tight spaces but aren’t equipped to cover several acres at once. Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte have the attributes on paper, but Fernandes has little experience in a more defensive role and has been guilty of making positional mistakes, while United have struggled to get the best out of Ugarte on a consistent basis.
In that light, João Gomes makes sense as a transfer target. He has the work rate, pace and stamina to hit the many gaps that United’s system inevitably leaves in midfield, and averages over four combined tackles and interceptions per game for Wolves in the Premier League this season, with a recent peak that’s higher still.
He’s also improved his passing range, which helps with getting the ball downfield quickly as Amorim wants. Always an economical passer, Gomes’ completion percentage for long passes has increased from a little under 60% last season to over 70% since the summer. If that isn’t a flash in the pan, it means that the Brazilian may be developing another part of the skill-set that’s required to flourish in United’s demanding 3-4-3 formation.
There are a few worries, not least that while he defends hard and makes tackles in volume, his success rate is relatively low – he has never succeeded with more than 47% of his attempted tackles on opposing ball carriers since moving to England, for example – and there are ways to get past him and at the back three. Certainly all his hard graft and technical improvements haven’t been able to keep other teams at arms’ length at Wolves this year.
Still, his strengths cover his weaknesses sufficiently for him to have earned 10 caps for Brazil and at 24 he has room to continue his growth and improve. But will this deal actually take place this winter?
Will Manchester United sign João Gomes this January – or are the rumours wrong?
A few different sources (including Portuguese newspaper Record) have made the link between United and João Gomes, with Record suggesting a likely price point in the region of €50m (£44m). That’s not cheap, per se, but is at least half of what Baleba or Wharton would likely cost and should be within United’s price range when PSR is taken into consideration.
United have also been linked with Gomes before, with the Brazilian routinely linked with a move to Old Trafford between late 2023 and the summer of 2024. The deal never materialised, clearly, but there is evidence of long-standing interest. In short, this is a very plausible transfer rumour.
That doesn’t mean it’s probable that such a deal takes place. United have identified a long list of possible midfield targets and won’t sign them all - João Gomes is likely to be no more than one of several names under consideration and their decision may break several ways depending on the finances involved and the various players’ performances over the next six to 10 weeks.
It's also debatable whether Wolves would be willing to sell a key player halfway through a relegation battle. Unless they are resigned to their fate by the end of January and looking to extract maximum value from their players to prepare for life in the Championship, then they will be far better served waiting to sell in the summer.
There will be a price point at which their arms will be twisted sufficiently, but £44m or so feels a little low given the financial rewards of remaining in the Premier League. If United do decide that João Gomes is the player they need, then they may have little choice but to wait until summer to strike a bargain.
Gomes ticks a lot of United’s boxes but isn’t necessarily the complete answer to their problems, just a part of a broader solution, one that’s likely to cost a lot of money. They could easily decide that they will be better served by moving in a different direction, or that it makes more sense for them to hold their powder and sign a more expensive player like Wharton or Baleba – although they will eventually, surely, buy more than one midfielder given their needs. A deal is very far from nailed on, but it’s not out of the question either.
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