Aston Villa are in the process of finalising a deal for Joao Gomes, who will be a direct replacement for Youri Tielemans following his Manchester United move.
The £35 million they received from Tielemans’ release clause being activated is now being used to sign the Wolverhampton Wanderers star in a £38m package.
Villa agree deal for United-linked Gomes
Inrecent months, United had been linked with Gomes on numerous occasions.
#mufc are monitoring Wolves' Joao Gomes [@TyMarshall_MEN] pic.twitter.com/rhBm8ysEuQ
— utdreport (@utdreport) March 19, 2026
Even after signing Andrey Santos, those links re-emerged when the Reds called off their deal for Ederson last week, with Gomes posing as a like-for-like alternative who was available this summer.
United ultimately prioritised the arrival of Tielemans, 29, who put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Old Trafford on Monday, but there is still expected to be another midfield addition in the coming weeks.
Youri Tielemans has already shown @ManUtd fans his quality 👀 pic.twitter.com/7JZS7f4P5e
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 15, 2026
Experienced veteran Casemiro leaving as a free agent already emphasised the need for reinforcements, and it subsequently intensified in the aftermath of Manuel Ugarte’s lengthy injury layoff.
He could be out for the best part of the upcoming season due to a knee ligament problem, and United have Champions League action to factor in throughout 2026/2027.
After Tielemans: Who else will United sign to bolster Michael Carrick’s midfield?
Yet, Gomes is no longer an option for INEOS to consider.
The Brazilian will bid farewell to Wolves today before travelling to Villa Park to undergo his medical.
🚨 EXCL: Joao Gomes is leaving Wolves' training camp in Portugal to finalise a move to #AVFC worth around £35m.
The 25yo has said his goodbyes to his teammates and is now expected to undergo a medical at Villa after talks between the clubs accelerated.https://t.co/3CdSi5YQMw
— John Townley (@johntownley11) July 16, 2026
In regard to some of the other names on United’s shortlist, Manu Kone has emerged as a potential target over the last week, having overseen a stellar campaign with France at the World Cup.
Alex Scott has plenty of admirers in M16, though there is an acceptance that any agreement would be incredibly difficult to facilitate, as Bournemouth are entirely closed off to a sale.
Read more: Romano issues Thursday morning update confirming senior United man ‘can leave’ after public statement on his future
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BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MARCH 20: Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at Vitality Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Bournemouth, England.
Ederson looking dejected
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 01: Marcus Rashford #11 of England is seen during the warm up before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between England and Congo DR at Atlanta Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Isabel, 25, is a football writer who has previously gained experience in the industry as the editor of Stretty News, along with work on Caught Offside, Last Word on Football and Give Me Sport. She is now the editor of UtdReport.
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