Why Man Utd eye Joao Gomes as a potential Casemiro successor
Manchester United are expected to undergo a midfield revamp in the off-season. With Christian Eriksen and Casemiro tipped to leave and Sofyan Amrabat's loan move unlikely to be made permanent, investment in the middle of the park is a necessity. United have been linked with a summer move for Benfica star Joao Neves, with the Portugal international shining in Liga Portugal.
He's not the only midfield target for United if reports are to be believed. They can ill-afford to put all their eggs into one basket as they did in their doomed pursuit of Frenkie de Jong almost two years ago. Another rumoured target for United is Wolves star Joao Gomes as they gear up to replace Casemiro.
While Casemiro hasn't been a poor signing, he also wasn't first choice with United turning to the Brazilian ball winner once it became clear De Jong was not going to swap Barcelona for Manchester. That said, the 32-year-old was a stop gap until a long-term target was attainable. Whether that is Neves or Gomes, it remains to be seen, but the latter at least has Premier League experience to call upon should United prioritise this facet.
Having joined from Flamengo last January, Gomes has gone on to become a first team regular under Gary O'Neil this season and his impact in the midfield third has helped thrust the Brazilian into the limelight. Indeed, an average of 4.1 tackles per 90 ranks fourth of those to have made at least 15 Premier League appearances this season to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'tackling'.
By comparison, Casemiro is making 3.8 tackles per 90 but crucially; the former Real Madrid man is being dribbled past 2.5 times per 90 compared to Gomes' 1.8 per 90. As age begins to catch up on the former, opponents are finding it far easier to get the better of the experienced Brazilian and this is becoming a real problem for United.
United games under Erik ten Hag routinely play out like basketball matches. Ten Hag's side rank seventh for shots (402) and fourth for shots conceded (467) in the Premier League this season. It's great for the neutral but a nightmare for supporters who'd give plenty for increased defensive resilience, which explains the desire to strengthen in the middle of the park in the off-season.
By comparison, Wolves have allowed their opponents 400 shots in the Premier League this season, that the ninth most in England's top tier this term, and while they have shipped five more goals (44) than United, 13 of those (29.5%) have come in the six league games Gomes didn't start this season. It's no wonder, then, that Wolves would only come to the negotiating table if they were to receive a hefty bid for the former Flamengo man.
However, as is so often the case for a player in his position and carrying out the duties of a midfield enforcer, Gomes does routinely find himself in hot water with officials. Only Conor Gallagher (58) has committed more fouls than Gomes (44) in England's top tier this term. This would work against a United side that has conceded 10 goals from set-pieces in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, that the seventh most in the division.
In addition, Gomes' distribution needs further work to help take the next step in his development. Wolves' possession average of 47.6% ranks 11th in the Premier League yet were Gomes' possession recyling to a better standard, then that would be higher. A pass success rate of 82.5% is a figure that can be worked upon, though even so; Casemiro's pass accuracy of 83.5% is also poor for a player of his experience in a team of United's stature.
As such, it's feasible the best player to replace Casemiro for club may feasibly be the one who replaces him for country, too. While Gomes is far from the finished article, he has established himself as one of the more promising battling midfielders in the division. It's no wonder United have been linked with the 23-year-old as they gear up for their rebuild in a key area.
