Angel Gomes transfer latest - Lille contract update, Man United return chance, West Ham bid

Former Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes is back in England, amid January transfer links to the Premier League. The 24-year-old departed Old Trafford when his contract expired back in 2020 which saw him join French club Lille as a free agent.

For these last few years, Gomes has kept his head down and performed consistently in Ligue 1, but his name was back in the headlines following the interim appointment of Lee Carsley as England manager, which saw him make four appearances for the Three Lions at senior level.

Talk of a return to United swiftly followed, especially with the five-year contract he signed upon joining Lille expiring in the summer of 2025. Interest from West Ham has also since emerged, with Gomes now hoping to feature against Liverpool in Lille's Champions League trip to Anfield.

With all of that being said, The Manchester Evening News has taken a closer look at the latest transfer news and rumours involving Gomes as a move appears likely this year.

Lille contract latest

As of late October 2024, Gomes had not began contract extension talks with Lille and, as of earlier on this month, he's also free to discuss and potentially even agree terms with clubs outside of France.

Gomes has struggled for game-time in recent weeks with Lille manager, Bruno Genesio, revealing his absence was because of an injury as opposed to his uncertain future.

"[The injury] needed intervention so that he's no longer hampered [by that]. We had to account for a four-week absence so that he could once again be operational," he said via GFFN back in December. "It was preferable that we intervened right away rather than wait and let him play handicapped [by the problem]."

No major updates have followed, regarding his future, with the expectation therefore being he will be allowed to depart as a free agent this summer.

Man Utd return chance

Given his England debut and uncertainty around his short-term future, talk of a sensational return to United has also arrived. Ruben Amorim is thought to be a huge fan of the central midfielder, and given United's current financial situation, it is easy to understand why bringing back a player of his quality for free is certainly tempting.

Other clubs across Europe are expected to be interested including Tottenham with United's rivals, reportedly, having held talks with his camp. West Ham are another team that now look to be in the race for his signature.

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West Ham decision

Though Gomes has played just 22 minutes of Ligue 1 football since early November, as per talkSPORT, West Ham are interested in signing Gomes when he becomes a free agent in just over five months' time.

Now under Graham Potter, the Hammers already appear to be identifying targets for this summer, with Gomes as one of those. There could soon be a gap in West Ham's midfield with Carlos Soler expected to return to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his loan spell.

Based on the signing of Guido Rodriguez last summer, it is clear West Ham are not afraid of dipping into the free agent market with their interest in Gomes further showcasing that.