Matt Maher
Published16th Jul 2026, 15:07 BST
Updated16th Jul 2026, 15:14 BST
The immediate reaction to Joao Gomes’ move across the West Midlands is it looks a good deal for Villa and only an average one for Wolves.
For sure, there will be many Wolves supporters unhappy at the £38million fee which, all things considered, feels a little low in the current market.
No doubt his destination will, for some, make it that bit harder to stomach. This is certainly a long way from letting the surplus to requirements Leander Dendoncker head down the M6 four years ago.
Gomes’ departure was widely anticipated in the wake of the club’s relegation though, certainly in the final weeks of the season and early part of the summer, his most likely landing spot appeared Atletico Madrid.
Rumours abound in Spain of a disagreement with Jorge Mendes which prompted Atletico to cool their interest. Whatever the truth, it has allowed Villa, who have their own long established links to Mendes through Unai Emery and co-owner Nassef Sawiris, to step in and sign Gomes, just days after Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United for a similar fee.
At four years Tielemans’ junior, Wolves fans have cause to question why Gomes is not moving for a larger amount.
True, he did not enjoy a particularly great season, in what was one of the worst campaigns in the club’s history.
Yet Matheus Fernandes, relegated from the Premier League in each of the last two seasons, has just moved from West Ham to Tottenham for £85m. The near £50m difference can’t all be down to London’s higher tax rates.
On the other hand, every transfer is different. A player is only ever worth what another club is prepared to pay and if Gomes wants to go, it is better for Wolves to take the money on offer and move on. A transfer window which began with a bang with the signings of Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez has gone rather quiet. Plenty of work remains to be done between now and the end of next month.
Villa also have plenty of business to get through. From a position just a couple of weeks ago where midfield was not a priority, they suddenly find themselves in something of a rebuild following the sale of Tielemans and the serious injury suffered by Amadou Onana which will likely see the Belgium international miss most if not all of the season.
In terms of profile, Gomes very much feels a replacement for the latter rather than the former.
The 25-year-old’s terrific workrate should quickly endear him to supporters, while there is the potential he can dovetail nicely with Boubacar Kamara in the middle of the park. Johan Manzambi, who is poised to arrive in a club-record deal from Freiburg, will provide more attacking flair. Villa are also attempting to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich on loan.
For Gomes, there is now the chance to prove himself at the highest level.
His performances for Wolves did enough to attract interest from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United. In Villa, he is joining a team which plays close to 60 matches a season and wins the majority. Local rivalries aside, it is not difficult to understand why this would be such an attractive move.
The key to success in the market is never so much about the players you sell, as the ones you buy. How Wolves go about replacing Gomes is now all-important.
Villa now have the player and a reasonable price yet, in time, this may be looked back on as a move which worked out for all.
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