Liverpool and Manchester United have both contacted Wolves over Joao Gomes after Atletico Madrid's move for the midfielder collapsed. The sudden opening has put Wolves in a stronger position, with Atletico having already agreed to pay £38.3 million (€45 million) before the deal fell through.

Why Gomes is attracting top-club interest

Micah Richards made the case in blunt terms after watching him closely. "Seeing him up close and personal, his touches, his anticipation when he's winning the ball back and his weight of ball forward. Sorry Wolves fans, he's going to the top that lad," the former Manchester City defender told givemesport.com.

That view is not coming out of nowhere. Joao Gomes won Wolves' Player of the Season award last season, which fits the picture of a midfielder who is already viewed as more than a backup plan. Liverpool finished 5th in the Premier League and Manchester United finished 3rd, so both clubs are shopping for players who can improve the middle of the pitch now, not later.

Wolves' asking position

The collapsed Atletico deal gives Wolves a useful benchmark if Liverpool or Manchester United decide to push further. A fee of £38.3 million was already on the table from Atletico Madrid, and Wolves can point to that price as a starting point rather than a ceiling.

There is also the club's own league position to factor in. Wolves finished 20th in the Premier League with 20 points, after 3 wins, 11 draws and 24 losses. That makes retaining a prized player harder if the interest turns into a formal bid, and it leaves the club with little reason to cut the price now that the market has reopened.

Manchester United's recent experience with Ederson shows how quickly this kind of search can move. They requested further medical checks on him after his World Cup participation, then decided not to progress with the deal, so a fresh midfield target like Gomes has arrived at a useful moment.

The next step is whether either club follows the contact stage with a bid. For now, Wolves have a player they rate highly, a rejected Atletico agreement to lean on, and two Premier League clubs already testing the water.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →