Wolves look to be closing in on Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes and his arrival at Molineux could allow Julen Lopetegui to finally ditch Connor Ronan.

According to the Daily Mail in recent days, the Old Gold have already agreed to a £15m deal to sign the Brazilian youngster as Lopetegui looks to improve upon his midfield options at Molineux in what could prove to be a vital transfer window in the history of the Midlands club.

Although important wins against relegation rivals Everton and West Ham have lifted Wolves out of the bottom three, there is no doubt that they could easily be dragged back in and therefore it is no surprise that Lopetegui is working so quickly to bring in new signings, with Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia having already joined.

While he is only 21 and has no experience in English football, Gomes has been a mainstay in Flamengo’s side in recent seasons, making 117 appearances in all competitions, contributing three goals and three assists, featuring mainly as either a central or defensive midfielder.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig was full of praise for the Flamengo wonderkid in 2021, writing:

"João Gomes is such a unique player. Fantastic mix of midfield destroyer, deep-lying playmaker and box-to-box midfielder. Tireless runner, amazing work rate and tenacity mixed with really good technique and playmaking skills. He always gives 100% on the pitch. Warrior."

This suggests that he is being signed as a first-team-ready player and thus, it could be curtains for Ronan, who has mustered just 15 first-team appearances since joining from Rochdale more than eight years ago.

It was hoped that the 24-year-old could push on at Wolves after winning St Mirren's player of the season award last season after a loan spell in Scotland but both Bruno Lage and Lopetegui have preferred other options in the midfield and Gomes' addition will surely be the end for the Irishman at Wolves.

In fact, recent reports have suggested that he could join Colorado Rapids on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his eight-and-a-half-year association with the Old Gold, in which he was sent out on a wide range of loan deals without ever really threatening to make it as a first-teamer at Molineux.

In Gomes, Wolves would seemingly be signing a far better and younger prospect, with far more experience, so the deal looks to be a good one from the Old Gold's perspective as Lopetegui looks to upgrade his squad, and hopefully, the Brazilian can have far more impact than Ronan would have during his time at the club.