Lyon owner John Textor has heaped praise on Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes, despite missing out on signing a player who has decided to sign for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Throughout the January transfer window, Gomes has been heavily linked with a move to either the Premier League or Ligue 1.
Wolves and Lyon are both known to be big admirers of the 21-year-old, who helped Flamengo win last season's Copa Libertadores by featuring in all but one of their 13 fixtures in the competition.
At one stage, Wolves appeared to have a clear path to Gomes, allegedly agreeing to pay €17m (£15m) over five instalments in a deal which suited Flamengo.
However, Lyon attempted to hijack that deal, revealing that they were willing to pay more than Wolves, and it led to their Brazilian counterparts attempting to insist that they would only sell to the French side.
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Despite that stance, it has been consistently claimed by journalist Vene Casagrande that Gomes only had eyes for moving to Wolves having already agreed to a switch to Molineux.
While that initially led to an impasse, it was suggested on Thursday evening that Flamengo had finally agreed fresh terms with Wolves, allowing Gomes to move to the English top flight.
Gomes has since said his goodbyes to his teammates ahead of undergoing a medical in the West Midlands, further indication that a transfer is on the brink of being confirmed.
Nevertheless, Textor has taken to social media to talk up the conduct and beliefs of Gomes, acknowledging that he was "disappointed" to miss out on the highly-regarded defensive-minded midfielder.
...was too late for @GomesOficial08 All my powers of persuasion (self-mocking) could not alter this young man's sense of honor. He gave his word to @Wolves and he won't deviate. I'm disappointed, but so impressed by a gracious young man with an incredible future. Bon chance Joao!
— John Textor 🦁★彡 🦅★ (@JohnTextor) January 27, 2023
Commenting on Twitter, Textor indicated that he was in awe of Gomes's "sense of honour", wishing him luck ahead of his pending switch to Wolves.
In response, Gomes thanked Textor for his words, saying: "I was very happy with your interest, for me it is an honor. I'm sorry. It was a pleasure meeting you."
Wolves are reportedly now paying Flamengo a fee of €20.2m (£17.7m), a figure which includes add-ons with Flamengo also possessing a 10% sell-on clause.
Should a transfer get over the line, Gomes will theoretically come into contention for the Premier League showdown with Liverpool on February 4.
Darren Plant
