Atletico Madrid have opened talks with Wolves over a summer move for Joao Gomes, talkSPORT understands.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Wolves were officially relegated from the Premier League, and Gomes is a player likely to move on.
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The Championship-bound side value the Brazilian international at £40million.
They signed the 25-year-old from Flamengo in 2023 for just over £15m.
Gomes has gone on to make over 120 appearances for Wolves in all competitions.
He has made 31 Premier League appearances this season, scoring once in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Molineux.
But with a World Cup coming up, he is unlikely to want to play in England’s second tier.
And after selling Conor Gallagher to Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid have a space that needs filling in midfield.
And Gomes looks to be that man for Diego Simeone.
The Spanish giants have also agreed terms with Atalanta midfielder Ederson.
However, they are yet to reach any agreement with Atalanta over a fee.
Key player
In a total season to forget for Wolves, Gomes has been battling on his own at times.
The combative midfielder ranks very highly for duels won and attempted tackles.
His success rate in said tackles is also very strong, and it is that bite that probably makes him appeal to Simeone so much.
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He wears the number eight shirt, which after Ruben Neves, is a big responsibility, and while fingers can be pointed at his teammates, he can hold his head high.
All of the managers he’s worked under at Molineux have praised him, with Rob Edwards most recently heaping praise on Gomes.
Speaking after his goal in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa after being dropped for a few games previously, Edwards said: “He really responded.
“I think he’s a wonderful player and he’s shown real glimpses and a lot of good stuff since we arrived as well.
“But I think it’s been hard for him because in a team that has struggled at times or if you’ve not got the results, it can be challenging. You can think ‘I’ve made a big move here’ and then you question things.
“I understand it, but he really, really stepped up the other night and that’s the level that we want to see from him all of the time now.
“It’s only going to benefit him going forward if he continues to perform like that.”
