Joao Gomes matched Casemiro in his Man United audition, Ruben Amorim will be impressed

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Manchester United are being linked with a move for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes in 2026 and he had a chance to impress Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.

Signing a midfielder will be a top priority in 2026 for Manchester United and the frustrating 1-1 draw against Wolves on Tuesday evening showed exactly why.

With Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes injured, Ruben Amorim started Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte together in midfield and reverted to his 3-4-2-1 shape.

However, Manchester United target Joao Gomes helped Wolves to overload the Red Devils midfield, so Amorim felt forced to change at half-time, replacing goalscorer Joshua Zirkzee with academy graduate Jack Fletcher.

The real reason why Ruben Amorim subbed off Man Utd striker Joshua Zirkzee against Wolves… 🤔👀

Did Ruben Amorim make a major mistake taking Joshua Zirkzee off? 😩 Should Benjamin Sesko come off instead of Zirkzee? Let us know YOUR verdict! ✍️

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While United did dominate possession at Old Trafford, there was hardly any creativity or urgency in the midfield and Wolves ended up earning their third point of the season.

How Joao Gomes fared against Man United

Last month it was claimed that United have held talks with Gomes over a potential move to Old Trafford in 2026.

When United beat Wolves 4-1 at the start of the month, Joao Gomes was suspended and therefore missed out, but he finally got a chance to impress Amorim up close on Tuesday.

The Brazilian played the full 90 minutes and earned a 6.9 rating on SofaScore.

Gomes was heavily involved in all areas of the pitch, completing 57 passes and taking 81 touches of the ball.

For context, that is more passes and touches than Casemiro managed for United despite him also playing the full 90 minutes.

Gomes also won the same number of duels as United’s Brazilian midfielder.

Man United could move for Joao Gomes in January

The draw to Wolves was not a positive way for United to end the year, and Amorim has already admitted that the Red Devils could be active in January.

Gomes is expected to cost around £44 million, although Wolves may be forced to cut their asking price given they are headed for relegation to the Championship.

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Interestingly, Gomes is a long-term target for United with the Red Devils sending scouts to watch him back in 2022.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Gomes is ‘keen’ to join United midway through the season, so he is one to keep an eye on over the January window.