Wolverhampton Wanderers will now find it ‘really difficult’ to complete a deal for Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes before next Tuesday's deadline, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: The story so far

The Daily Mail revealed earlier this month that the Old Gold were closing in on a deal to bring the 21-year-old to the Premier League, with Fabrizio Romano backing up reports by stating that the Brazilian was all set to fly to England to undergo his medical.

However, a roadblock emerged at the last minute when French outfit Lyon made a late swoop and presented an offer for the player which was £2.5m higher than Fosun’s, meaning that the deal stalled as a result of Flamengo preferring the proposal which had more money on the table.

The Brazilian is keen to come to Molineux, though, and posted a teasing message on social media just two days ago which read ‘time is a teacher’, a possible hint that progress was on the horizon.

The Latest: Taylor’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor claimed that despite that recent message from the player, Wolves may now have had Gomes stolen from underneath their nose thanks to their competitors.

He said: “It’s looking like a really difficult deal to complete now because Flamengo effectively said Lyon are paying higher money, so we want to sell to Lyon.

“I think Wolves will feel really hard done by on that front because they literally had the deal done and now it’s been taken away from them.”

The Verdict: He'd have been perfect for Wolves

Ruben Neves has recently been linked with a summer exit from Molineux, and if he should leave at the end of the season, Gomes would be an ideal long-term successor, having been labelled a ‘midfield destroyer’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The Nike-sponsored starlet is naturally stronger in the defensive aspect of his game, currently ranking in the 99th percentile for most tackles per 90 minutes among players in what FBref define as Men's Next 8 Competitions. He is also capable of contributing in the final third, having scored four goals and provided three assists throughout his senior career (Transfermarkt).

The Rio de Janeiro native has five trophies to his name already, so he will know what it takes to be successful, and that is exactly the kind of winning mentality that Julen Lopetegui needs to instill into his Wolves squad.

Gomes also has the ability to operate in all positions across midfield, so he would offer the Old Gold plenty of versatility should he get his wish and put pen to paper in the Black Country, but sadly that now looks improbable.