Wolverhampton Wanderers confirm signing of Braga wide player

Wolverhampton Wanderers have announced the signing of Braga wide player Rodrigo Gomes.

The West Midlands outfit have been searching for some extra depth in wide and attacking areas ever since the latest season concluded on May 19.

However, they have made headway in resolving both issues by confirming the addition of Portugal Under-21 international Gomes for a fee reported to be £12.7m.

Gomes has penned a five-year contract at Molineux and becomes the second addition in recent weeks after Tommy Doyle sealed a permanent switch from Manchester City.

Our first Rodrigo, our third Gomes! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/XENTmLAvLT

— Wolves (@Wolves) June 12, 2024

Gomes seals Premier League move after Estoril loan

Wolves made the decision to push hard for Gomes's signature having been left impressed by his loan stint with Estoril Praia.

From a variety of positions, Gomes contributed seven goals and seven assists from 26 starts and four substitute outings, helping Estoril to 13th position in Primeira Liga.

Atletico Madrid are known to have been rivalling Wolves for Gomes's signature, but he has instead opted to join the Portuguese contingent already at the English side.

Goalkeeper Jose Sa, defenders Nelson Semedo and Toti Gomes and winger Pedro Neto are compatriots of Gomes, as well as Chiquinho who will return to Wolves after a temporary stint with Famalicao.

© Reuters

What have Wolves had to say?

Speaking on the deal, sporting director Matt Hobbs said: "It's nice to do one early in the summer, so Rodrigo will be able to join the squad for the first day of pre-season, which is great for the player and the coaching staff – they can work with him from the start. He's a great character, a great boy and will really fit in.

"Scouting has taken a while. He's a player we've followed for most of the season, since he first went on loan. He's a player we know very, very well and have done an awful lot of work on but getting him in has been relatively smooth because Rodrigo was clear that he wanted to come here and is excited.

"It's not important to get a deal done early if it's not the right player, but this is the right player. It's great for the club to do that. He'll be an important player for us with his versatility, creativity, technical ability and attitude on the pitch. The fans will love him and I'm genuinely really excited to have him here."

Last season, Gomes was most frequently used as a right wing-back, where he provided four goals and seven assists from just 15 outings.

He also spent time out on the left, either as a wing-back or winger, with one appearance also coming from the number 10 role.

Before spending the last campaign with Estoril, Gomes played 51 times for Braga having come through their academy system.