Given how he fared since leaving Old Trafford, you could argue that Manchester United letting Angel Gomes leave for free is one of their more notable mistakes in recent years.
The midfielder did reject a contract proposal before parting ways with his boyhood club but has since made it clear that a move was necessary for him to gain the invaluable first-team experience he needed to develop appropriately.
He left United with 10 senior appearances to his name in total, etching his name in Red Devils history when he became the youngest player to make his first-team bow in over 60 years; Gomes was 16 years and 263 days old when he replaced Wayne Rooney against Crystal Palace in May 2017, while legend Duncan Edwards made his debut at 16 years and 185 days.
Now 24 years old, Gomes has gone on to accomplish what he set out for – playing an integral role at the heart of a top European side’s midfield. Upon his United release in 2020, he signed for Lille and, after spending one season on loan with Boavista, became an essential cog for the Ligue 1 outfit.
How Gomes has fared since Old Trafford departure
His regular stellar showings have seen him rewarded with a maiden England call-up, with previous U21s boss Lee Carsley immediately looking to utilise some of the talents that he managed on their journey to becoming U21 Euro champions in 2023.
Gomes made a brief cameo in the closing stages of the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland last Saturday before playing the full 90 of Tuesday’s clash with Finland. Opta revealed post-match that the midfield ‘guardian’ became the first player since 2008/2009 to complete over 100 passes on his first-ever England start (116/124).
116 – Angel Gomes is the only player on record (since 2008-09) to complete 100+ passes on his first start for England (116/124). Guardian. pic.twitter.com/0GpbxNesJ1
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 11, 2024
Per The Sun, Gomes is attracting some significant transfer interest ahead of his contract expiring with Lille next summer; Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are all mulling over a move for the Carrington graduate, the latter of which is even considering a January swoop to snap him up early doors.
