Huge promise derails mega-money Man Utd move as target tells Amorim how to complete deal | OneFootball

Manchester United will need Wolves to instantly go back on a big promise made to new coach Rob Edwards if they are to persuade the Old Gold to sell a top midfielder now very much on Ruben Amorim’s radar.

The Red Devils are turning their focus towards the strengthening of their midfield in the upcoming 2026 transfer windows and scouts are starting to compile a list of would-be targets who can help Ruben Amorim achieve his target of a top-four finish with Manchester United.

And while they have been scared off Brighton’s Carlos Baleba owing to the Seagulls’ huge valuations, they do have a number of other options very much on their radar, including the likes of Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.

Last week, though, our transfer insider Dean Jones also exclusively broke the news that Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes was also fast becoming a player of interest at Old Trafford, with several newspapers, outlets and journalists since backing up his claim.

And according to Jones, United, as well as Tottenham Hotspur, are among the clubs showing a strong interest in the player ahead of the January window and amid a strong suggestion the Brazil international is keen to move on in the increasingly likely event that Wolves suffer relegation this season.

As Jones claimed, however, prising Joao Gomes out of Molineux will be tough mid-season, given the club’s predicament and the 24-year-old’s importance to their team.

Now a new report from United in Focus claims United will not only need to convince the Wolves board to sell for a fee they deem reasonable, but how the board will also need to go back on a major promise made just last week to new manager Edwards, which states that no Wolves player will be sold in January from under him, as he looks to pull off his dream of keeping the club in the Premier League.

Arriving at Wolves in a €18.7m (£15m, $21m) move from Flamengo in January 2023, the midfielder has gone on to establish himself as a key member of their side, making 98 appearances so far and scoring seven goals.

Per FBRef, which measures players over a 12-month period against their peers from Europe’s top five leagues, he certainly looks a player more than capable of doing a job in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation.

Ranking in the top 96th percentile for tackles made per 90 (3.37), he also ranks highly for blocks (67th percentile), successful take-ons (79th percentile), progressive carries (71st percentile), and progressive passes (72nd percentile).

With a pass completion accuracy of 85.7%, he isn’t a player who will give away the ball cheaply, either.

Already slated in the media as Amorim’s ideal replacement for Casemiro beyond this season, a move for Joao Gomes certainly ticks plenty of boxes if the price is right.

However, given Wolves’ situation, it seems a deal may need to wait.

It’s not the first time, though, that Gomes has been linked with a big-money move, and, prior to signing for Wolves, he was a long-term target of Liverpool.

And when asked about the speculation at the time, he indicated what he would need from a club before signing, indicating how it is his great desire to play for a team in the Champions League.

When asked about the 2022 transfer speculation, he replied: “Liverpool are a team I’d play for. I have the greatest desire to play.

“Playing in the Champions League is my biggest dream in football.”

As a result, United may need to satisfy that desire for Gomes before he green-lights a move away from Molineux, which looks a near-certainty regardless of their survival chances next season.

Latest Man Utd news: Kobbie Mainoo links dismissed; German teen targeted

Elsewhere on the midfielder transfer chase, we’ve looked into the data behind a top LaLiga midfielder who also finds himself linked with a move to Old Trafford and amid claims he can leave for a €50m fee in the winter window.

Meanwhile, we’ve cut through the surprise talk suggesting Kobbie Mainoo was emerging as a January transfer target for Leeds, with sources naming the four strong reasons why a move simply won’t go ahead.

Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, meanwhile, has revealed United are one of 11 clubs interested in signing a Hertha Berlin defensive midfield prospect, already considered to be one of the most exciting youngsters in Europe.