Former Manchester United star Angel Gomes has publicly revealed he is “aware” of the growing interest in the 24-year-old midfielder, but he remains “completely focused on Lille” for the remainder of the season.
Gomes came through the ranks at Old Trafford as an academy graduate, having joined the club at the age of six.
The English international became the youngest player in the club’s history to make his United debut in the Premier League. The midfielder also won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award for the 2016-17 season, underscoring how highly rated he was within the Red Devils’ academy system.
Gomes would also enjoy similar acclaim internationally, captaining the England under-17 to win the U-17 FIFA World Cup.
However, the diminutive starlet would only go on to make 10 appearances for United after his breakthrough moment. And he would depart his boyhood club in 2020 after negotiations over a new deal stalled, despite United being open to the midfielder remaining at Old Trafford.
Gomes subsequently joined LOSC Lille on a five-year deal on a free transfer a month later. He was then immediately loaned out to Portuguese side Boavista on a twelve month loan.
The move away from Manchester has proven an astute decision by the 24-year-old, who has firmly established himself as a starter since returning to Lille from Portugal in 2021. He has also gone on to make his Three Lions senior debut under interim-manager Lee Carsley.
Gomes retains the technical ability which saw him soar through the United academy, but has demonstrated that his lack stature and physicality are not hindrances to him in first-team football.
The Lille man possesses a skillset which is increasingly rare among midfielders, capable of progressing the ball from deep and dribbling through opposition midfields. His success stems, in large part, due to a positional change, switching from an attacking midfielder to a deep-lying playmaker for the French club.
A number of Premier League sides have been linked with a move for Gomes as a result of this impressive form, including Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, West Ham and even bitter rivals Liverpool.
A return to Old Trafford was even mooted with the 24-year-old reported to be “open” to a move back to his boyhood club. Head coach Ruben Amorim is also believed to be in favour of this move.
The most attractive part of a pursuit of Gomes is his contract situation with Lille. The midfielder’s current deal is set to expire in June, meaning he could be signed on a free transfer come the summer; and that teams are currently able to negotiate directly with the 24-year-old over a move.
Gomes reveals he is “aware of clubs inquiring about my situation” but insists he remains “completely focused on Lille”.
🚨 EXCL — Angel Gomes on his future: “I’m aware of clubs inquiring about my situation, but I’m now completely focused on Lille”.
“I want to finish the season in the best way possible and then we will see what happens, I’m focused on the present and not on negotiations”. pic.twitter.com/RF8go7eiYD
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2025
Tweet: “EXCL — Angel Gomes on his future: “I’m aware of clubs inquiring about my situation, but I’m now completely focused on Lille”.
“I want to finish the season in the best way possible and then we will see what happens, I’m focused on the present and not on negotiations”.
However, the Englishman does suggest a move away from France remains possible by contending “we will see what happens” at the end of the season.
From United’s perspective, Gomes offers a profile of midfielder in short supply in the current squad. Christian Eriksen is the only option in the centre of the pitch capable of providing the ability on the ball from deep that Gomes does.
Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes are technically gifted but both are best deployed further forward. And given Eriksen, who turns 33 in February, is also out of contract at the end of the year, Gomes would constitute a smart purchase to replace this skillset on a free transfer, who would also provide a valuable homegrown player in the squad.
And even if the 24-year-old was signed to be a depth option, his potential sale in twelve months time, even for a nominal fee, would provide a financial fair play boost given his academy status at Old Trafford.
Whether Gomes would be open to a return in this capacity remains to be see, given he already left the club once in search of better first-team opportunities, but it remains an astute option for United executives to consider this summer.
Feature image by Adrien Dennis via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
