Joao Gomes set for Aston Villa move as Champions League push begins

Joao Gomes is set to swap a relegation fight for a Champions League push, with Aston Villa closing in on a £38m deal for the Wolves midfielder.

The Brazil international has left Wolves’ pre-season training camp in Portugal and is due to undergo a medical on Thursday, a clear sign this move is in its final stages. Villa will pay an initial £34m, with a further £4m tied to add-ons.

This is not a luxury signing. It is a necessity.

Unai Emery’s midfield has been ripped open over the summer. Youri Tielemans has gone to Manchester United in a £35m move, while Amadou Onana faces a long spell out, ruled sidelined until next year after suffering a serious knee injury with Belgium at the World Cup. Two key options gone in quick succession, and suddenly the heart of Villa’s side needed rebuilding.

Gomes fits the brief: aggressive, energetic, and battle-hardened in the Premier League. He made 41 appearances for Wolves last season, in a campaign that ended with the club bottom of the table. The team sank; his reputation did not. Since arriving from Flamengo in 2023, he has played 130 times for Wolves and scored seven goals, a reliable constant through managerial changes and turbulence.

Villa are not stopping at one major midfield signing either. They are also close to landing Switzerland international Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for a club-record fee of more than £50m, a statement of intent from a club determined not to drift after breaking into the elite.

Atletico Madrid had shown serious interest in Gomes but never pushed the deal over the line. Villa did. They moved with purpose, sensing an opportunity in a market where dynamic central midfielders are at a premium.

For Wolves, this is another significant departure and another reminder of their reset after relegation. For Villa, it is something very different: a reinforcement drive for a squad that expects to compete deep into multiple competitions.

Gomes now stands on the verge of the biggest step of his career, trading survival scraps for the demands of a side chasing trophies. The fee says Villa believe he is ready. The question now is how quickly he proves them right.