Villa seal Gomes deal to plug midfield hole after Onana injury

Aston Villa have secured Brazil international João Gomes from Wolverhampton Wanderers for an initial £34 million, with £4 million in add‑ons, bringing the total to £38 million. The transfer was finalised on Thursday at Villa Park in a swift move to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.

Villa faced a midfield void after Amadou Onana suffered a season‑ending knee injury and Morgan Rogers is set to leave for Chelsea. The club moved quickly to address the gap, targeting a player with Premier League experience.

Atletico Madrid had also shown interest in Gomes, but the Brazilian chose Villa. He travelled to Wolves’ training camp in Portugal on Thursday to undergo a medical, which was completed and confirmed the move to Villa Park.

Earlier in the week Villa completed a club‑record signing of Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi for a fee exceeding £50 million, outbidding Newcastle for the Switzerland international. The acquisition further reshaped Villa’s midfield options.

Onana’s injury occurred while representing Belgium at the World Cup and sidelines him until next year. Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers’ departure is confirmed after Villa agreed a £117 million transfer to Chelsea.

Gomes joins Villa after three years and 130 appearances at Wolves’ Molineux stadium. The transfer was announced with a Getty Images release, confirming the £38 million total fee.

The signing completes Villa’s summer midfield rebuild, giving manager Unai Emery a new creative option. For Wolves, the departure of a Brazil international after a substantial spell marks a significant squad change.