Former Man United youngster Angel Gomes has been linked with the prospect of a return to Old Trafford.
Manchester United look set to miss out on re-signing former midfielder Angel Gomes in this summer’s transfer window.
The United academy graduate will become a free agent at the end of this month when he leaves Lille and is reportedly set to join fellow French outfit Marseille.
It has been reported by Italian journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano that Marseille have ‘reached a verbal agreement’ to sign the England international. It has also been claimed that he will sign a three-year contract.
United, who are looking to add Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo to the addition of Matheus Cunha, have been linked with Gomes at various junctures this calendar year amid his contract situation at Lille.
The midfielder, who will turn 25 in August, has been at Lille since leaving Old Trafford in 2020. His stock has risen throughout his time in France and he was rewarded with his England debut last September. He has four caps for the Three Lions.
Gomes, after announcing he will be leaving Lille last month, has been linked with a cluster of clubs across Europe in recent weeks, including teams in England and Germany. However, he is now poised to stay in France and link up with fellow former United youngster Mason Greenwood.
On a free transfer, Gomes was considered as a potentially low-risk, high-reward signing for United. The Reds are understood to want to strengthen in midfield this summer and links connecting them with the former academy player were understandable.
Capable of doing a little bit of everything in midfield, Gomes could have been a natural option to fill one of the two No.8 positions in head coach Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
His small frame and nimble movement make him an attractive operator, capable of progressing the ball, dancing out of tight spaces and dictating matters from a deep-lying midfield position. He earned lots of plaudits for his performance on his first start for England against Finland at Wembley last September.
United will say goodbye to Christian Eriksen when his contract expires at the end of this month, and there is no guarantee Casemiro will be retained beyond the end of the summer transfer window, meaning Amorim could find himself light on midfield options.
Gomes, on a free transfer, could have been worth a punt. However, there are no guarantees he would have been a regular starter, and his recent injury record carries a risk.
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