United contact Wolves' Joao Gomes as £35m Ederson deal hangs in doubt

Manchester United have reached out to Joao Gomes as a potential midfield signing, with the 25-year-old Wolves midfielder available after his proposed £38m transfer to Atletico Madrid broke down, according to Brazilian outlet O Globo.

The contact comes amid uncertainty over United’s primary midfield target, Atalanta’s Ederson. A deal worth around £35m had appeared close, but conflicting reports have since emerged suggesting the transfer has collapsed — a claim the club disputes. Should the Ederson pursuit ultimately fail, Gomes represents a credible alternative already on United’s radar.

Gomes impressed during a difficult season for Wolves, who were relegated from the Premier League, and had also attracted interest from Liverpool before his Atletico move stalled. O Globo reports that his deal with the Spanish club was close to completion but was deprioritised by his agent, Jorge Mendes, who turned his attention to brokering Bernardo Silva’s transfer to Real Madrid — a delay that reportedly frustrated those involved.

Manager Michael Carrick, appointed permanently after securing Champions League qualification last season, is also weighing up a tactical solution from within his existing squad. According to The Sun, Carrick is considering deploying Mason Mount in a deeper midfield role — a significant positional shift for the 26-year-old, who joined from Chelsea in 2023 for an initial £55m as an attacking playmaker but has struggled to justify that fee in his natural position.

Mount returned to pre-season training last week and is said to have impressed Carrick with his work ethic and adaptability. His performances towards the end of last season have kept him in contention for a regular starting role, and the manager is reportedly open to reinventing him as a more defensive-minded central midfielder.

Elsewhere, Karl Darlow is set to join as backup goalkeeper, while Andrey Santos’ move from Chelsea is expected to be finalised shortly. Santos, however, is not considered a like-for-like solution to the void left by Casemiro’s departure, leaving Carrick’s midfield rebuild as the most pressing item on United’s pre-season agenda.