According to Givemesport, Manchester United could go head-to-head with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Lille midfielder Angel Gomes at the end of the campaign.
The 24-year-old was in the United academy for 14 years until 2020, but he declined a new contract to join the French club. Gomes has since developed into an important player for the Ligue 1 outfit.
He registered 2 goals and 10 assists for Lille last season and he was recently rewarded with his first two caps with England.
Givemesport now report that United have joined Spurs in the pursuit of the midfielder. Manager Erik ten Hag has told the club’s scouts to monitor and assess whether he can fit into the playing style.
Gomes has entered the last 10 months of his Lille contract worth £12,000 per week. He will reportedly demand a huge salary of £150,000 per week for a free transfer amid Premier League interest.
Possible deal
United are preparing for a mini-midfield overhaul next year. Casemiro is likely to become a fringe player after Manuel Ugarte’s arrival and the club could look to offload him in January or next summer.
Christian Eriksen is another candidate, who could head for the exit door. The Dane is in the final year of his deal with the Red Devils. It looks unlikely that the club will negotiate an extension with him.
United stand to save as much as £500,000 in weekly wages if the duo leave. This could encourage the hierarchy to make an approach for Gomes, who would be considered as a homegrown player.
Gomes would be a good signing due to his versatility. He can play anywhere in midfield and has strong distribution skills. He is also superb with his vision and created 17 big chances for Lille last term.
The youngster would be a shrewd signing with no transfer fee involved. United will need to be pro-active as other elite clubs could join the race. He is free to negotiate a pre-contract with an overseas outfit from January.
