Friday, May 23, 2025. Napoli found themselves on track to miss out on the Scudetto to Inter until the 42nd minute, when, despite being manhandled by Cagliari’s Gabriele Zappa, Scott McTominay completed an audacious scissor kick to open the scoring in a 2-0 home victory. A few minutes later, in Seville, Antony picked up a through ball from Isco and bended it into the back of the net with a world-class finish, breaking the deadlock in a 1-1 draw vs. Valencia.
By Zach Lowy
Both McTominay and Antony have hit extraordinary heights since departing Manchester United this season – the former winning Serie A’s Most Valuable Player after guiding Napoli to the league title, the latter spearheading Real Betis to the UEFA Conference League Final. However, they’re far from the only players who have taken their game to a new level after leaving the Theatre of Dreams. Plenty of former Red Devils like Anthony Elanga and Marcus Rashford have found a new lease on life since decamping to greener pastures, and one player in particular could be in line for a Premier League return this summer.
Born in Edmonton, England, Angel Gomes is the son of Angolan-born Portuguese youth international Gil Gomes as well as the godson of Manchester United legend Nani. Gomes joined United’s renowned Carrington academy in 2006 and ascended through the ranks, eventually replacing Wayne Rooney for his debut on May 21, 2017 and becoming the youngest player since Duncan Edwards in 1953 to play for United.
That same year, Gomes won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year and steered England to victory in the FIFA U17 World Cup. However, his slight 5’6” frame caused him to be overlooked by José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, prompting him to leave United in 2020 for Ligue 1 side Lille. Gomes was promptly loaned out to Portuguese outfit Boavista, where he racked up six goals and six assists (including a stunning goal from the halfway line vs. Moreirense) before heading back to northern France.
Whilst he wasn’t able to help Lille retain their Ligue 1 title, he did manage 30 appearances across all competitions and win the 2021 Trophée des Champions. An attacking midfielder by trade, Gomes was utilised as a right winger, a left winger, and a No. 10 in his debut campaign in France and emerged as a valuable impact sub, but under the watchful eye of Paulo Fonseca, he solidified a starting spot in a more central area. Forming a stalwart midfield trio alongside Benjamin André and André Gomes, Gomes impressed as a deep-lying playmaker, capable of popping up in different areas and filtering passes between the lines for his teammates. Similarly to the great Andrés Iniesta, Gomes used his biggest question mark – small stature – as a virtue, with his low centre of gravity enabling him to weasel out of pressure and keep the ball glued to his boot, before chiseling out an opportunity for his teammates.
After leading Lille to a fifth-place finish in 2022/23 (a massive improvement on their previous 10th-place finish) and winning the U21 Euros with England, Gomes swapped his No. 20 shirt for the No. 8, previously worn by Lille icons like Michel Bastos, Moussa Sow, Salomon Kalou, and Xeka. With great power comes great responsibility, and Gomes did just that by steering Les Dogues to a fourth-place finish in 2023/24 and qualification to the UEFA Champions League. Gomes proved adept at maneuvering out of pressure, constantly scanning the pitch and staying wary of danger before manipulating his body weight in order to dodge a tackle whilst remaining balanced. However, he also showed off his incisiveness and killer end product, finishing as the joint-top assist provider in Ligue 1 and ranking sixth for progressive passes completed in Ligue 1. Reinvented as a midfield architect, Gomes thrived at dropping between the centre backs and picking up the ball in deeper areas, opening up his hips to receive on the front foot and drawing in opposing players before exploiting the press with ease.
“Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team,” stated Fonseca, who departed in the summer of 2024 and was replaced by Bruno Génésio. “When we have Angel closer to the attack, when he plays between the lines, he is more decisive. He understands timing and space and his positioning changes his intentions.”
The 2024/25 season hasn’t been quite as kind to Gomes, who departed their Ligue 1 opener vs. Reims after being knocked unconscious, suffering a busted lip, and being carried off on a stretcher following a collision with Amadou Koné. Whilst Koné was sent off and suspended for four matches, Gomes remained in a jocular mood, joking that “someone should remind him next time to not jump for a header.” He returned in time to make his debut for England’s senior team, playing in their UEFA Nations League matches vs. Finland and Ireland and becoming the first player to represent England whilst employed by a French side since Trevor Steven in 1992. Gomes played in each of Lille’s next nine league matches before suffering a calf injury, eventually returning to the side on January 10 for his first appearance in 61 days and coming off the bench in a goalless stalemate vs. Auxerre, before playing 10 minutes vs. Strasbourg.
Gomes was then given a starting opportunity as an attacking midfielder in Lille’s 4-2-3-1 formation, opening his Champions League account in a 6-1 thrashing of Feyenoord, completing 29 out of 31 passes (including two key passes), and coming out on top in four out of four ground duels, before exiting at halftime in a 4-1 win vs. Saint-Ètienne. He was an unused substitute for their next three matches before returning to the side on March 1, where he lasted just 45 minutes before being replaced by Ethan Mbappé. Little did he know it, but that would be the 134th and final appearance of his Lille career. With Gomes showing no signs of renewing his contract, Génésio elected to drop him from the side for the final three months of the campaign en route to a fifth-place finish.
It wasn’t the fairytale ending that he would have hoped for, but Gomes can nevertheless leave the Stade Pierre-Mauroy with his head held high. Across his four years in France, he transformed from a wonderkid to the real deal, a player who could impose himself on proceedings with his elaborate disguised passes, his tenacious counter-pressing, and his deliberately executed dribbles out of the press. He developed a seamless chemistry with Jonathan David, who will also depart Lille on a free this summer, and showcased an ingenuity and precision in retaining possession and advancing the ball forward with telepathic accuracy, but he also showed his mettle out of possession in terms of winning back the ball and making crucial interceptions.
Eight years after becoming the first player born in the 2000’s to play in the Premier League, Angel Gomes looks set to return to the Premier League just as he left it: on a free transfer. Manchester United, West Ham, Everton have all registered interest in the English midfield maestro, whilst Tottenham Hotspur have also put out feelers for Gomes, who is on track to become the latest Lille player to move to England after Amadou Onana, Sven Botman, Carlos Baleba and Leny Yoro. He needed to escape the blinding lights of the Premier League in order to flourish, but at 24 years of age, Gomes is finally ready to make his mark in England’s top-flight and challenge for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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