Former Manchester United star Angel Gomes is set to stay at Lille until the end of the season before leaving on a free transfer - which opens the door to an Old Trafford return. The midfielder has turned heads during an impressive spell at the Ligue 1 side which has seen him earn a call-up to the England squad under interim boss Lee Carsley. Gomes has since picked up four caps for the Three Lions and has caught the eye, with Premier League teams now eyeing up a move.
The 24-year-old is said to have Tottenham and West Ham United chasing him, but according to the Telegraph, any move will have to wait until the summer, when he'll be available for free. The report claims Gomes has agreed to stay at Lille for the remainder of the campaign before making a final decision on his future. A return to the Premier League looks most likely and there have even been reports he could head back to United. He told L'Equipe that leaving Old Trafford initially in 2020 was "very difficult" and that he would like to return one day.
"It was a very difficult decision," he said. "In my heart, I wanted to leave, in my head, I was thinking of staying. But I had to follow my heart. I felt that I needed to take another step in my career. "I felt that had I stayed, there wouldn’t be a lot of opportunities for me. Luis Campos [Lille's then sporting director] and Lille spoke about their project and I believed in it even more, that’s what convinced me to move - the faith Lille had in me.
"Do I imagine myself coming back one day? Obviously, it’s home. I would love to come back. But you never know in football. I just have to keep my feet on the ground, and keep playing, making the most of it. I can’t predict what will happen in the future.". United already have Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte as solid central midfield options but will need more depth in that position with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen likely to depart next season.
Gomes has made a total of 132 appearances for Lille, scoring ten times. He has started their last two games and scored last week in a 6-1 win over Feyenoord in the Champions League. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
