Medical imminent: Liverpool set to be dealt £35m transfer blow which could infuriate Iraola | OneFootball

Liverpool look set to miss out on one reported midfield target who instead seems destined to join a direct Premier League rival.

Last week, there were reports from Brazil that the Reds and Manchester United had both made contact with Wolves to enquire about a potential swoop for Joao Gomes, who’d been poised to sign for Atletico Madrid until the deal collapsed after a disagreement with agent Jorge Mendes.

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When he was an emerging youngster with Flamengo in his homeland in 2022, the midfielder had spoken of his ‘greatest desire’ to play for the Merseyside giants, but his next move seems like it won’t be to Anfield.

Joao Gomes set to join Aston Villa instead of Liverpool

On Thursday morning, John Townley revealed for Birmingham Live that the 25-year-old is leaving Wolves’ training camp in Portugal to complete a transfer to Aston Villa which is understood to be in the region of £35m.

Negotiations between the two Midlands clubs progressed quickly, and Gomes has already said his goodbyes to his Old Gold teammates ahead of his move to the Villans. He’s expected to undergo a medical in the next few days prior to signing on the dotted line for Unai Emery’s side.

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Frustration compounded for Iraola and Liverpool

For Iraola and Liverpool, there’ll be a nagging sense of frustration that a player who’d been on their radar is instead joining a positional rival.

The Reds’ head coach has made no secret of his concerns over the size of the squad he’s inherited from Arne Slot at Anfield, and he’s had to watch on as several other Premier League clubs swiftly wrap up high-profile midfield signings (Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Youri Tielemans and now Gomes).

The figures below from Fotmob highlight how effective the 25-year-old had been as a ball-winning presence in Wolves’ midfield last season, and a tactical analysis by James Lawrence Alcott (via premierleague.com) shows how proficient the Brazilian is at initiating attacks for his team.

For a mid-20s, Premier League-proven player of such quality to be on the move for just £35m represents tremendous business in today’s market, and he could’ve given Liverpool a prime-age combative presence in the midfield engine room.

Unfortunately, if Iraola wants to bring in such a player at Anfield this summer, he’ll need to look towards alternative options for sporting director Richard Hughes to pursue.

There’s still time for the Reds to put the disappointment of missing out on Gomes behind them, but fans would be justified in wanting to see discernible progress on that front sooner rather than later.