Premier League side Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes amid links to Man Utd, according to reports.
The Reds have had a brilliant season in the Premier League under Arne Slot with the Dutchman leading them to top spot in the table after 29 matches.
Liverpool extended their lead at the summit to 15 points from second-placed Arsenal after the Reds beat Southampton 3-1 last weekend.
It would take a minor miracle for the Gunners to beat Liverpool to the title from here, although Arsenal do have a game in hand and still have to play the Reds before the end of the season.
Liverpool have a week off from Premier League action as they contest the League Cup final against Newcastle United on Sunday at Wembley after exiting the Champions League last 16 against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
Their brilliant first season under Slot is all the more impressive after the lack of summer and winter recruitment from the Liverpool board.
Federico Chiesa has been the only signing since Slot arrived that has been for the first team this season with Liverpool also bringing in Giorgi Mamardashvili before immediately sending him back out on loan to Valencia.
Slot is not sure whether he will have key trio Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk with all three out of contract at the end of the season.
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And now Liverpool are wasting no time in lining up deals for the summer with reports in Brazil (via Anfield Watch) claiming that the Reds are ‘close to sealing’ a deal for Wolves midfielder Gomes.
Relaying a report from Brazilian outlet Gazete do Urubu, Anfield Watch add:
‘They suggest several major European clubs want to sign Gomes, as well as Manchester United, who currently sit 14th in the Premier League. It’s Liverpool, though, who lead this race.
‘The Flamengo outlet is reporting on this because of a heft sell-on clause in Gomes’s contract. He joined Wolves from the Brazilian giants, who now stand to make 14 per cent on any profit in his sale.
‘They’re also talking about a sale of around €60m (£50m) – that’s a large chunk of change for Flamengo.’
If Man Utd miss out on Gomes too that will be two bits of bad news in two days for the Red Devils after Chelsea hijacked their move for Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda.
Speaking last year about potential interest in Gomes, Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “The way he is playing, there will be clubs watching him for sure. I know there are.
“The perfect player for us might not be someone else’s perfect player but Joao fits here.
“They are not always going to work, but you stand more chance of them working if you have a manager who believes in them and plays them.”
