Atlético close in on a €45 million verbal deal for João Gomes as the Wolves midfielder agrees terms to 2031
Atlético Madrid have moved closer to signing João Gomes from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Spanish club nearing a verbal agreement worth around €45 million, or roughly £39 million. The 25-year-old Brazil international has reportedly agreed personal terms on a contract running until 2031 at €4.5 million per year, according to Italian transfer journalist Nico Schira.
A relegated Wolves cash in
Wolves had their relegation to the Championship confirmed on 20 April after eight years in the Premier League, with five games still to play and Rob Edwards' side on 17 points to West Ham's 33. Selling Gomes was always going to be part of the rebuild that follows. The club paid Flamengo €18.7 million on 30 January 2023, with add-ons that could have lifted the deal toward €20 million. A €45 million exit lands close to a clean €25 million profit before any sell-on percentages.
Why Simeone wants him
Diego Simeone's preference for high-pressing, physical midfielders has been the constant of his Atlético tenure, and Gomes fits that profile. He has played more than 120 times for Wolves since arriving from Brazil, with 31 of those appearances coming in the Premier League this season, many of them in a side that was leaking goals from the first weekend onwards. Spanish reporting frames him as an ideal profile for the intense, competitive style Simeone wants in the middle of the pitch.
Where the deal stands
Negotiations have moved quickly through the past 48 hours. Sources told ESPN that Atlético had reached a verbal agreement with the player and were prepared to spend €45 million; Wolves have settled on roughly £40 million as their asking number. Personal terms are reportedly already done. The fee is in range. Napoli, who had been in the conversation through the spring, look to have dropped off as Atlético pulled to the front. The formalities are what remain.
What's next at Molineux
If relegation forces a wider clearout this summer, Gomes will be the first significant departure on a list that is likely to grow. The €45 million the club is closing in on for him helps fund the rebuild under Edwards. It also begins to set the tone for a window in which much of the current squad becomes available to bigger clubs. Gomes signed a five-year contract extension as recently as April 2025, so Wolves could have held longer if the season had not collapsed the way it did.
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