Aston Villa sign Joao Gomes from Wolves in £38m deal

Aston Villa have completed the signing of Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes from Wolves in a deal worth up to £38m, with the initial fee set at £34m and a further £4m in performance-related add-ons.

The 25-year-old was allowed to leave Wolves' training camp in Portugal to undergo a medical and finalise personal terms, with Atletico Madrid also interested in his signature.

Villa's midfield reshuffle

Gomes arrives during a busy summer of change at Villa Park. The club previously sold Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for £35m and agreed a £117m deal with Chelsea for Morgan Rogers, while also completing a club-record move for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi worth over £50m.

Villa were forced into the market after Amadou Onana suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while on World Cup duty with Belgium, ruling him out until next year. Boubacar Kamara is also still recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in January.

What Gomes brings

Gomes made 41 appearances for Wolves last season and was named the club's Player of the Year despite their relegation from the Premier League. He scored seven goals in 130 appearances for Wolves after joining from Flamengo in 2023.

• Initial transfer fee of £34m plus £4m in add-ons
• Gomes made 116 Premier League appearances for Wolves
• Recorded 107 tackles last season, third-most in the division
• His 194 ball recoveries ranked fourth in the Premier League
• Wolves technical director Matt Jackson called him 'a model professional'

Wolves technical director Matt Jackson said the club had to take 'responsible decisions' and build to be stronger collectively, acknowledging that clubs without unlimited resources must work that way.

What's next

Gomes is expected to slot straight into Unai Emery's squad as Villa prepare for a new campaign following last season's Europa League triumph. Manager Emery has been keen to add ready-made players who can quickly adapt to his methods, and Gomes' Premier League experience should help him hit the ground running.