Overview
- United are exploring a mid-season midfield addition, with Wolves' Joao Gomes cited by multiple outlets as a lower-cost Premier League option compared with nine-figure targets such as Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson.
- Gomes posted on X that he is ready to fight for Wolves, and reports say club leadership agreed with new manager Rob Edwards not to sell key players in the winter window despite their last-place standing.
- Portuguese outlet Record reports Gomes would be open to a move and values a deal at around £44m, though Mirror reporting suggests any transfer at that price is likelier in the summer.
- Ruben Neves has held contacts with Premier League clubs, according to CaughtOffside, and could be available for about €20m, but his reported £410,000-per-week wages are viewed as a major barrier by top European sides.
- Context for United's push includes Casemiro's contract situation and uneven alternatives, with manager Ruben Amorim publicly stressing longer-term squad building even if January business proves limited.