Angel Gomes' career so far has been quite the adventure. A Manchester United academy graduate, the English midfielder was released by the Red Devils in 2020 after being unable to make his mark in the first team. As a free agent, he was snapped up by Ligue 1 side Lille before being loaned out to Portuguese side Boavista.
After a stellar season in Iberia, he returned to Lille, where he has since been a regular starter for the six-time French champions. Now, not only is he an England international, but the 24-year-old is also attracting the attention of clubs from across the continent.
Manchester United
Realising they may have made an error in allowing Angel Gomes to leave the club, the Red Devils are now keen to bring him back to Old Trafford. That's according to GiveMeSport, which reported last month that United are "mulling over handing Gomes a chance to return" as he would count towards their homegrown quota.
According to GiveMeSport, United boss Erik ten Hag has told his scouting department to keep tabs on Gomes to see whether he can adjust to their style of play. However, if United did want to bring Gomes back, they'd have to give him a hefty pay rise, with the player reportedly looking to earn somewhere in the region of £150,000 per week. Gomes has previously said that he one day would like to return to Old Trafford.
"Do I imagine myself coming back one day? Obviously, it’s home. I would love to come back, but you never know in football," he told L’Equipe last year. "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."
Liverpool
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Liverpool sent scouts to watch Gomes in action last month. They reported that Liverpool's chief executive of football, Michael Edwards, sent representatives from Anfield to watch Gomes in Lille's 1-0 defeat at Saint-Etienne as they continue to consider a January move for the midfielder.
Should he join Liverpool, Gomes would become the 13th player to have played for both United and the Reds, joining the likes of Michael Owen, Paul Ince, and Peter Beardsley.
Tottenham Hotspur
According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are seriously considering a move for Gomes. It was claimed last month that Spurs want to offer the 24-year-old a "route back to his homeland" and hope that they can negotiate a low-cost deal with Lille in January due to the midfielder's contract expiring in the summer.
Last summer, Spurs allowed three deep-lying midfielders to leave in the form of Oliver Skipp, Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but only signed one player in the same position - that being Archie Gray, who they splashed £40 million on to bring in from Leeds United.
Manchester City
Few players in history have ever dared to cross the divide by representing Manchester United and Manchester City. According to TBR Football, City are hoping Gomes will soon be one of theirs.
It was reported in early October that the Sky Blues had joined the race to sign Gomes, with the club eyeing the Englishman as a long-term replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who turns 34 at the end of October. Former United midfielder Nicky Butt said last month that Gomes is so good, he "could play for City tomorrow".
Newcastle United
Gomes is thought to be Newcastle United's top target for January. Reports relayed by Caught Offside stated in September that Magpies boss Eddie Howe is gearing up to make a move for the Lille star in the new year. However, while interested in Gomes, Newcastle do have "reservations about his size and slight frame", according to recruitment expert and former United chief scout Mick Brown.
"He’s always been a talent, when he was at [Manchester] United as a kid, he was impressive at every level, but there were always question marks about his physicality," Brown explained to Football Insider. "That’s why United let him go, but he’s gone abroad and been really impressive. I think French or Spanish football suits Angel more than the Premier League."
Aston Villa
Aston Villa are the most recent Premier League club to be linked with Gomes, with GiveMeSport reporting that Unai Emery's side have joined the race to sign the England international.
If he was to join Villa, Gomes would be reunited with fellow midfielder Amadou Onana, whom he played alongside for Lille during the 2021/22 season. Onana left Lille to join Everton before moving to Villa in the summer for a fee of £50m.