Manchester United’s reported January transfer plans may have to be put on hold following emerging details about Joao Gomes’ Wolves contract.
The January transfer window is swiftly approaching, and Manchester United, who currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League, will be looking to improve their squad with new additions. Ruben Amorim’s side is aiming to break into the European spots, but as the crowded winter fixture list arrives, injuries look more likely.
Amorim aims to bolster the squad with new signings in January. A midfield signing looks to be the likely target as Manuel Ugarte’s performances have been under par, and Kobbie Mainoo looks towards a loan away.
Many rumours have emerged about who the new additions will be, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson among the most promising options. Amorim and United’s recruitment team are looking towards young, defensive, Premier League-proven midfield options.
The recruitment of Bryan Mbeumo has been deemed a huge success for United, with the Cameroonian currently leading the race as United’s top scorer this season. Similarly, the signing of Matheus Cunha has been celebrated with a bright start for the Brazilian at Old Trafford.
Gomes contract details reveal the lack of a release clause
Unlike the signing of Cunha, United will be unable to activate a release clause to sign Wolverhampton’s Joao Gomes. United signed Cunha in June for a fee of £62.5 million, which was pre-determined in Cunha’s contract with Wolves.
Joao Gomes has emerged as another key target for United due to his ability to adapt to different positions and his Premier League-proven form. Gomes is most often seen in the centre midfield position but can also show attacking prowess and play as a defensive midfielder.
There have been previous reports from Portugal claiming that United were plotting a possible swoop for the player in the January transfer window, though new details about his current contract have scuppered that plan.
In April of this year, the Brazilian signed a new contract with Wolves, adding five years to his deal with an optional one-year extension. Unfortunately for United, this deal doesn’t include a release clause, so they can’t repeat the Cunha signing trick.
This is according to Mirror Football, where it’s also claimed that Wolves have no intention of selling key players in the winter window. A lack of a release clause in Gomes’ deal means United cannot easily obtain the midfielder in January, effectively putting their reported plans on hold.
The 24-year-old has doubled his market value since signing for Wolves from Flamengo in 2023, according to Transfermarkt, who value the player at around £35 million. Due to the recent contract signing and Wolves’ poor form, it is likely that the club won’t let him leave in January and will be looking to cash in on a summer move for Gomes.
Competitive Premier League nature makes January signings tricky
The Premier League is widely considered the world’s most competitive football competition, with so many teams fighting for the title. Given this, United’s plans to sign a league-proven midfielder in January are highly problematic.
Wolves, who sit in last place with two points, find Gomes to be far too valuable to the club’s relegation battle to let him go without adequate replacement in January. Nottingham Forest sit one place above Wolves and are similarly highly unlikely to let United target Elliott Anderson leave.
Further up the table sit Brighton and Crystal Palace, who are both within two points of United. The January signings of Baleba and Adam Wharton are therefore unconvincing as they value their key players to get the edge over league rivals.
These obstacles will likely lead United to look towards the academy for midfield options or sign players from other leagues, such as Ruben Neves, who has been rumoured to be interested in a move back to the Premier League.
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