How Angel Gomes’ stats compare with MU midfielders after club lost him for FREE

ANGEL GOMES impressed for England over the international break.

Gomes, 24, stars for Lille in Ligue 1 after being let go by Manchester United in 2020.

At the time Gomes - then a winger or attacking midfielder - was not considered good enough to stay at Old Trafford.

He was the first player born in the 2000s to feature in the Premier League, was United's youngest debutant since Duncan Edwards at the age of 16 and, according to former coach Paul McGuinness, was the best player at every age group as he came through the ranks at United.

But all of that was not enough to see him stick around, perhaps in part due to his small 5ft 6" frame not being seen as suited to Premier League football.

However, following the move to Lille and a loan transfer to Boavista, he has blossomed in a new position as a deep-lying playmaker after Paulo Fonseca spotted something not immediately obvious to others.

On Gomes, Fonseca - who coached him from 2022 to last season before moving to AC Milan - said: "Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team.

"He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game."

The Red Devils have long held a need for a deep-lying conductor who can bring the ball up the pitch and pick a pass with ease.

The irony is that on Gomes' debut it was Michael Carrick performing that job.

And with United failing to replace the cultured midfielder, in hindsight, it would have been a no-brainer to keep Gomes around for a potential Gomes-Mainoo midfield pairing costing nothing.

Instead, the club forked out £70million - plus £375k a week - on Casemiro, whose performances last season and at the start of this have led to transfer chiefs splashing £51m on Manuel Ugarte.

The numbers from last season compared to the Red Devils midfield and Ugarte back this assessment too.

Excluding club captain Bruno Fernandes, Gomes had the most assists per 90 minutes and the second-best chances created per 90 and passes played into the final third per 90 behind Christian Eriksen.

Gomes was also better than all United stars for successful passes, with only ball-winning specialist Ugarte having more per 90 during his time at Paris Saint-Germain.

Even for England, 123 passes against Finland with a success rate above 94 per cent further emphasises his ability on the ball.

That being said, Gomes does not come up well in terms of defensive numbers, with duels, interceptions and tackles not being his speciality.

However, the increased demand from clubs for security on the ball in deep areas which has led to the rise of more on-ball specialists over ball-winners, has spiked interest in Gomes' services.

SunSport exclusively revealed that Newcastle were plotting a January transfer for the midfielder.

United have also been linked with bringing the star back home, an idea that Gomes has not ruled out in the future.

In November 2022 he told L'Equipe: "Do I imagine myself coming back one day? Obviously, it’s home.

"I would love to come back. But you never know in football. 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."

Following his England performances, some fans also want to see Gomes return to his old stomping ground.

One said: "Cannot wait for Angel Gomes to play for my club next season.

"The deep-lying ball-playing midfielder we’ve been crying out for finally here. Mainoo - Angel - Ugarte. Now that’s a great midfield."

A second said: "Mainoo, Ugarte, Gomes and another signing for the pivot would be elite."

A third said: "If Collyer can prove a good squad player and Mount can stay fit (unlikely) We should let Eriksen go for free, try sell Casemiro and bring Angel back for free."

What the future will likely hold is further Three Lions appearances - with or without Lee Carsley as boss - and a chance to show his stuff in the Champions League, including matches against Real Madrid and Liverpool.