Gomes Departs Wolves Camp for Villa Medical
Joao Gomes has left Wolves’ pre-season training camp in Portugal, ready to finalize his £35m move to Aston Villa. The Brazilian said his goodbyes to teammates before flying back to England, where a medical awaits ahead of signing terms. Unai Emery moved decisively here, fending off interest from Atletico Madrid, who’d long been expected to firm up their pursuit.
This rebuild stems from necessity rather than luxury spending. Youri Tielemans’ surprise exit to Manchester United left an obvious gap, while Amadou Onana’s ACL injury during World Cup duty compounds things further. Gomes, who’s made 130 appearances for Wolves since arriving from Flamengo, brings exactly the energy and steel Villa now require centrally.
Interestingly, Flamengo still benefit here too. A sell-on clause entitles them to roughly ten percent of the fee, a tidy bonus from their original transfer years ago. Wolves, meanwhile, accepted the package readily following their relegation, keen to cash in before the market cools further. For continued coverage of Villa’s summer rebuild, visit the KCPredict.
Palhinha Talks Continue Alongside Gomes Deal
Villa aren’t stopping at midfield reinforcements either. Talks continue over Joao Palhinha, who’s reportedly eager to remain in England following his loan spell at Tottenham. Spurs chose not to trigger their buy option, instead investing heavily in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
That decision leaves Palhinha available again at Bayern Munich, with Villa exploring a loan featuring an option to buy. Reports suggest Bayern value him around €25m, though Benfica remain genuine competition throughout these negotiations.