Aston Villa have secured the services of Joao Gomes from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth up to £38 million, the club have confirmed.

The Brazilian midfielder joins Villa Park for an initial fee of £34 million, with a further £4 million available in performance-related add-ons.

The move ends Gomes's time at Wolves, where he made 130 appearances across all competitions since arriving from Flamengo in 2023, contributing seven goals. The 25-year-old featured in 41 matches last season as Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League and were relegated.

Competition from Atletico Madrid

Gomes attracted interest from Atletico Madrid before he departed Wolves' training camp in Portugal on Thursday to undergo a medical and complete his switch to Villa.

Aston Villa had already made headlines earlier this week after agreeing a club-record deal of more than £50 million for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi — a signing that saw them pip Newcastle United to the Switzerland international's signature.

Onana injury adds urgency

The arrival of Gomes addresses a pressing need in midfield for Villa. Amadou Onana, a key figure in their engine room, faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining a serious knee injury while on international duty with Belgium at the World Cup. He is not expected to return until next year.

With two major midfield signings completed in quick succession, Aston Villa are moving decisively to reshape their squad ahead of the new campaign.