Journalist Confirms “Approaches” Have Been Made As Man Utd Vie With Serie A Giants For £35M Rated Midfielder

BACK David Tully Feb 14th 2026 Man Utd have made “approaches” for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, according to journalist Julio Miguel Neto. There had been suggestions that the 25-year-old could return to Brazil if Wolves are relegated, with Flamengo tipped as a potential option, but Neto said: “The player’s staff have no intention of negotiating a return to Brazilian football. Napoli are a probable destination, in addition to approaches from Manchester United.” United’s interest has been known for several months, but Neto’s mentioning of Serie A champions Napoli suggests there could be a battle for the Brazilian’s signature this summer. A replacement for Casemiro is needed It was announced in January that the 33-year-old would be leaving Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of the season. The Red Devils did have the option to keep Casemiro for another twelve months, but it appears they are not prepared to continue paying him £350,000 a week. A new holding midfielder will, therefore, be on the agenda ahead of the summer transfer window, and Gomes is expected to be on the shortlist of possible replacements. Gomes would be cheaper than some of Man Utd’s other targets Wolves are destined for relegation, and they are set to sell some of their top players, with Gomes chief among them. They are unlikely to demand an excessive fee for the midfielder, with some reports suggesting he could be available for around €40m (£35m). Considering the likes of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton could cost two to three times that much, Gomes may prove to be an attractive, cheaper alternative. He doesn’t possess the same level of technical ability as Tonali, Anderson or Wharton, but he would arguably be better value for money than someone like Baleba, who has had a poor season for Brighton. Want more news on Man Utd? Add Man U News as a preferred source on Google David Tully David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.