Aston Villa have announced their second signing following the World Cup final weekend. Following the sale of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, Villa had a creative midfielder sized gap in midfield which they have now replaced.
The Villans confirmed the signing of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for just over £50 million on Friday and as the World Cup has come to an end, they were quick to add a player with Premier League experience into the fold.
Who Is Aston Villa Signing Joao Gomes?
Joao Gomes came through the Flamengo academy before making 122 appearances for the Brazilian side.
His talent stood out and got him a move to Wolves in January 2023. After three and a half seasons in the Premier League he has made the move to 16 miles south to Aston Villa to remain in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old was signed for £38 million, a £23 million profit for the now Championship side. With Morgan Rogers off to Chelsea for £117 million, there is plenty of money in the pot for the now Champions League participants to replace their player sales.
Belgium and Villa midfielder Amadou Onana will also miss considerable time out after suffering a knee injury that will sideline him until next year. With Onana out the clear replacement is Joao Gomes.
How Joao Gomes Fits Into Villa's Midfield
The Brazilian international is phenomenal defensively with a staggering 6.16 recoveries per 90 in the Premier League campaign last season.
With over 2,800 minutes played in the top flight, Gomes has displayed consistency and availability throughout the season which allows his stats to be easily compared to those at Aston Villa.
Gomes has played over 38 games in the past three seasons and continued to impress, earning two international call ups this year.
Gomes averages 3 tackles per 90 minutes, displaying his love for dirty work and ability to be a defensive monster. Current midfielder, Onana averages just 2 tackles per 90 in his 1,794 minutes last season in the Premier League.
The Brazilian's defensive work rate is further displayed with his 12 defensive recoveries per 90 minutes and 50% duel win rate.
What Joao Gomes Will Bring To Aston Villa This Season
When compared to Onana, the new signing dwarfs the Belgian's defensive stats. However both players have shown the willingness to be ruthless infront of goal. Both players have two goal contributions, with Gomes' only goal coming against Villa on 27th February in a 2-0 home win for the Old Gold. The Brazilian has delighted those at the Molineux with accurate crosses (34.4%) and ball retention of 85.6%.
Gomes will be required to continue his great form from last season as Villa look to attack on all fronts with four competitions in the running this season.
Onana is expected to return in March 2027 so the Gomes is expected to play a crucial part of Aston Villa's season under Spaniard Unai Emery.
