Liverpool had been linked with a move for an $18 million midfielder. However, it appears that João Gomes is on the verge of joining Wolves, which certainly doesn’t rule out a future deal.
RED BLOOD: LIVERPOOL POTENTIAL GOAL FROM CENTER FIELD JOAO GOMES | PLAYER PROFILE
Wolves appear close to signing highly regarded Brazilian midfielder João Gomes, with a “complete deal” reached for the 21-year-old’s transfer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Wolves are close to signing the player from Flamengo for around $18m (£15m/€17m), and the prodigy will sign a five-year contract with the Midlands outfit.
Gomes has been linked rather sparingly with a move to Liverpool in the past (via ESPN Brasil), but Wolves appear to have won the bid to sign the top-flight midfielder. Gomes has made just under 60 appearances for Flamengo in the Brazilian Serie A and is yet to feature for his country.
It was only a matter of time before one of the European clubs called and took the player away, but few thought it would be Wolves. However, a move makes sense in several respects and echoes similar moves recently taken by Liverpool transfer targets Matheus Nunes and Enzo Fernánde.
Both midfielders now shine for their clubs, Nunes with Wolves – coincidentally – and Fernández with Benfica. It’s not really disrespectful to either club to acknowledge that the two players won’t stay at their respective clubs for very long; The modern game works faster and faster.
In the past, a potential client could stay at a club for three or four seasons; now it’s only gone to one or two. Even Erling Haaland’s career seems remarkably mapped out and carefully planned; Two seasons here, three seasons there. How long before he ends up at Real Madrid or Barcelona? It seems inevitable.
Nunes and Fernández are both struggling at smaller clubs, developing as players and waiting for one of the European sharks to surround them and take them away. The same will probably happen to Gomes in two or three seasons. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the same fate befall Gomes. Perhaps he will have 18 months in the Midlands before being arrested by a posse further up the food chain?
Fernández, like Nunes, has only been at Benfica for six months and is already attracting the biggest fish thanks to his World Cup performances. Liverpool have been added again (via Record) and it would be a miracle if he was still a Benfica player at the start of next season.
But that’s the way the modern game works, and Gomes could be a Liverpool player in a season or two. Just because he won’t make it to Anfield now doesn’t mean he will disappear from their radars. In fact being in England will only bring him closer to the att.