“Outstanding” Brazil international who’s perfect for Amorim open to joining Manchester United in January

Ruben Amorim. (Reuters/Matthew Childs)

Manchester United’s rebuild under Rúben Amorim hasn’t come cheap — and the club showed once again this summer that they are willing to spend big to accelerate the process.

More than £216 million went into reshaping the squad, with Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo giving United’s front line a completely new identity.

The early signs have been encouraging. United are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches, finally displaying the structure, intensity and attacking cohesion that were missing throughout last season’s chaos.

But Amorim’s project is still only part-complete.

One area the Portuguese manager wants to reinforce sooner rather than later is central midfield — and now, one of the club’s major targets appears to have opened the door to a January switch.

Portuguese outlet Record report that João Gomes would be willing to join Manchester United in the winter window, should a formal offer arrive.

United have been tracking the 24-year-old Brazilian for several months, with the club viewing him as a strong stylistic fit for Amorim’s high-energy system.

Wolves are expected to demand around €50 million, a fee United are said to consider reasonable — especially given that he is viewed internally as a more affordable option than Brighton’s Carlos Baleba or Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

Wolves’ dire situation makes a move even more plausible. The Midlands club have taken only two points from their opening 11 league games, sit bottom of the table, and already face the prospect of relegation.

If Wolves drop to the Championship, their chances of receiving a €50m offer for Gomes vanish — meaning January may be their best (and only) chance to cash in.

Gomes, described as “outstanding” by Danny Murphy, has been one of Wolves’ lone bright spots. He was even voted Wolves Supporters’ Player of the Season, finishing ahead of Matheus Cunha.

A move to Old Trafford would mirror the rise of other Wolves exports before him — and with United searching for dynamism, aggression and ball-winning quality in midfield, the Brazilian could prove a perfect addition at exactly the right time.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.