Joao Gomes set for £38m Aston Villa transfer as midfield is rebuilt

Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of Joao Gomes from Wolves in a deal worth up to £38m, as Unai Emery moves quickly to rebuild the heart of his midfield.

The Brazil international has left Wolves’ pre-season training camp in Portugal and is due to undergo a medical on Thursday, with only the final formalities standing between him and a switch to Villa Park.

Villa have agreed an initial fee of £34m, with a further £4m in add-ons. It is a decisive move from a club that has suddenly found a once-crowded midfield stripped of depth and experience.

Tielemans out, Onana injured – Villa react fast

Youri Tielemans’ £35m sale to Manchester United opened one gap. Amadou Onana’s serious knee injury with Belgium at the World Cup blew open another. He is not expected back until next year, leaving Villa short of power and bite in the centre of the pitch.

Gomes offers both. At 23, he brings energy, aggression and a willingness to press that fits Emery’s high-intensity blueprint. Villa have not waited to see how the season unfolds; they have moved before the problem can define it.

The club are also on the brink of completing a club-record deal for Switzerland international Johan Manzambi from Freiburg, worth more than £50m. If both transfers go through as expected, Villa’s midfield will have been dramatically reshaped in the space of a few weeks.

Wolves lose a mainstay

For Wolves, this is the departure of a player who had become central to their plans. Gomes made 41 appearances last season in a campaign that ended with the club finishing bottom of the Premier League. Across his time at Molineux, he played 130 times and scored seven goals after arriving from Flamengo in 2023.

Atletico Madrid had tracked Gomes and showed strong interest, but never pushed a deal over the line. Villa did. Their intent, and their willingness to pay, has carried the day.

A new engine for Villa Park

Gomes arrives as more than just cover. With Tielemans gone and Onana sidelined, he steps into a midfield that will be asked to carry Villa through domestic and European demands.

One major deal is close. Another, for Manzambi, is not far behind. Villa’s engine room is being rebuilt on the fly – and the pace of that work may yet define what they can dare to chase this season.