Man Utd starlet Angel Gomes could now be weeks away from leaving club (Mail)
When Angel Gomes scored a late winner for Manchester United against Tottenham on tour in Shanghai last July, a bright future seemed to be opening up for the diminutive teenager at Old Trafford.
It was Gomes' first senior goal for the club and underlined a potential that had long been talked about in the academy ranks at United. To do it against Spurs in a showpiece pre-season game at the Hongkou Stadium made it all the more special.
So was this to be Gomes' year? Would he be at the forefront of an exciting new order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one built around youth and attacking intent?
The answer, 10 months on, is a definitive no. Gomes has made just six appearances in total including three starts, all of them coming in the Europa League.
There have been no goals, no assists and no highlights to speak of like that lovely effort in China, running into the box after a one-two with Juan Mata and slipping the ball past Paulo Gazzaniga.
It has come against a backdrop of persistent speculation over the 19-year-old's future at United as he nears the end of his contract with talks over a new one deadlocked.
Gomes will be a free agent at the end of next month. Free to join a foreign club for minimal compensation or free to join an English rival if they are prepared to pay significantly more under the rules governing academy products.
Barcelona have been monitoring the situation for some time, with Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund understood to be among the other foreign teams who have been free to speak to him since January 1.
Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with the London-born player who began training with United at the age of six.
United want to keep him and an offer of £30,000-a-week is understood to be on the table. The club have given themselves until next week to decide whether or not to improve those terms.
It would certainly feel like a setback if Gomes was to leave Old Trafford without making his mark on the first-team.
After all, this was the boy who became United's youngest ever debutant since Duncan Edwards in May 2017 when he played at the age of 16 years and 263 days, and was voted the club's young player of the year that same month. Nani's godson, no less.
Just like 2018 winner Tahith Chong, he has become a symbol of the academy's success. Whereas United were able to end their contract stalemate with Chong in March, concerns are growing that the Gomes situation will play out differently and the England Under-20 midfielder will leave at the end of next month after a grand total of 10 first-team appearances.
If that's the case, there will be a sense of what might have been on both sides.
After Gomes scored in Shanghai, the stage was set for him to make a breakthrough this season. United were crying out for creative talent and, in Solskjaer, he had a manager committed to promoting young, homegrown players.
However, Dan James had already been signed for £15million from Swansea and Mason Greenwood also took his opportunity to shine on tour.
While Greenwood has gone from strength to strength since then, Gomes has largely disappeared back into the shadows, hampered too by an ankle injury in mid-season.
The £68m signing of Bruno Fernandes in January has filled up another slot in attack, and the way forward for Gomes at United seems far less clear now at a time, and age, when he wants more first-team football.
Greenwood, Scott McTominayBrandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe are now firmly established in Solskjaer's plans. Gomes, on the other hand, is still on the outside looking in.
He has reached a crossroads in his young career. Does he sign the new contract and try to make a success of himself at United? To be part of what the club are trying to build under Solskjaer? Or does he go for the higher offer and a fresh start somewhere else?
'It's what I want to go on to do – win trophies for the club,' he said last month. 'I've seen it over the years, coming up from the academy and being at United my whole career.'
Events off the pitch suggest his future is less clear. There is still time for him to follow Chong's example and sign the contract, but it is rapidly running out.
It would be a shame if Shanghai was as good as it got for Gomes.
It was Gomes' first senior goal for the club and underlined a potential that had long been talked about in the academy ranks at United. To do it against Spurs in a showpiece pre-season game at the Hongkou Stadium made it all the more special.
So was this to be Gomes' year? Would he be at the forefront of an exciting new order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one built around youth and attacking intent?
The answer, 10 months on, is a definitive no. Gomes has made just six appearances in total including three starts, all of them coming in the Europa League.
There have been no goals, no assists and no highlights to speak of like that lovely effort in China, running into the box after a one-two with Juan Mata and slipping the ball past Paulo Gazzaniga.
It has come against a backdrop of persistent speculation over the 19-year-old's future at United as he nears the end of his contract with talks over a new one deadlocked.
Gomes will be a free agent at the end of next month. Free to join a foreign club for minimal compensation or free to join an English rival if they are prepared to pay significantly more under the rules governing academy products.
Barcelona have been monitoring the situation for some time, with Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund understood to be among the other foreign teams who have been free to speak to him since January 1.
Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with the London-born player who began training with United at the age of six.
United want to keep him and an offer of £30,000-a-week is understood to be on the table. The club have given themselves until next week to decide whether or not to improve those terms.
It would certainly feel like a setback if Gomes was to leave Old Trafford without making his mark on the first-team.
After all, this was the boy who became United's youngest ever debutant since Duncan Edwards in May 2017 when he played at the age of 16 years and 263 days, and was voted the club's young player of the year that same month. Nani's godson, no less.
Just like 2018 winner Tahith Chong, he has become a symbol of the academy's success. Whereas United were able to end their contract stalemate with Chong in March, concerns are growing that the Gomes situation will play out differently and the England Under-20 midfielder will leave at the end of next month after a grand total of 10 first-team appearances.
If that's the case, there will be a sense of what might have been on both sides.
After Gomes scored in Shanghai, the stage was set for him to make a breakthrough this season. United were crying out for creative talent and, in Solskjaer, he had a manager committed to promoting young, homegrown players.
However, Dan James had already been signed for £15million from Swansea and Mason Greenwood also took his opportunity to shine on tour.
While Greenwood has gone from strength to strength since then, Gomes has largely disappeared back into the shadows, hampered too by an ankle injury in mid-season.
The £68m signing of Bruno Fernandes in January has filled up another slot in attack, and the way forward for Gomes at United seems far less clear now at a time, and age, when he wants more first-team football.
Greenwood, Scott McTominayBrandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe are now firmly established in Solskjaer's plans. Gomes, on the other hand, is still on the outside looking in.
He has reached a crossroads in his young career. Does he sign the new contract and try to make a success of himself at United? To be part of what the club are trying to build under Solskjaer? Or does he go for the higher offer and a fresh start somewhere else?
'It's what I want to go on to do – win trophies for the club,' he said last month. 'I've seen it over the years, coming up from the academy and being at United my whole career.'
Events off the pitch suggest his future is less clear. There is still time for him to follow Chong's example and sign the contract, but it is rapidly running out.
It would be a shame if Shanghai was as good as it got for Gomes.
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