Another young midfielder is expected to leave Old Trafford after being involved in a contract all season and failing to agree on new terms
In 2012, Paul Pogba let Manchester United’s contract end, failing to agree on a new deal. Instead, he moved to Italy to join Juventus, where he became an integral part of Antonio Conte’s winning team and appeared in the 2015 Champions League final against Barcelona.
The Frenchman was frustrated by the lack of opportunity for the first team at Old Trafford, appearing only seven times in all competitions, before deciding to try his luck elsewhere.
After the successes of Juventus and after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, United has moved to buy back Pogba at a world record price. They saw Pogba become a world-class talent and were left wondering what he could have been if he had been able to make the breakthrough in the first place.
Angel Gomes is in a situation similar to that of Pogba, however there is no guarantee of his potential. While Barcelona and Chelsea have both been linked to the signing of the English youth midfielder, he still has a long way to go to prove that it could be another who ran away.
Gomes has been in United since the age of six, but now he looks set to leave his junior club for nothing, unless there is a dramatic 11-hour U-turn. His first-team minutes under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were limited, but a contractual stalemate, which lasted much of the season, did not help his cause.
Solskjaer was unwilling to choose the nineteen year old with his commitment to the club under the microscope. As such, Gomes has had to settle for just three starts this season – all in the Europa League. In addition, he was the only member of the traveling group who went to LASK before the forced closure of the coronavirus that did not make up the team of the day.
Towards the end of the last day of his contract, June 30, the teenager has not yet accepted the terms offered by United. A new deal has been on the table for a long time and through long negotiations, which overshadowed Gomes’ opportunities during the current campaign, the offer has been improved.
It is understood that Gomes was being offered in the region for £ 30,000 a week, but concerns about playing time mean he has turned his head.
When he replaced Wayne Rooney on the last day of the 2016-17 campaign, Gomes made history as the youngest player to represent the team since Duncan Edwards in 1953 and, after impressing for the U18 team, there was hope that the ‘dynamic attack the midfielder would continue to beat more records.
Although he impressed in the younger age groups and was the key to England winning the U17 World Cup in 2017, he broke his lines when it came to auditions for several minutes in the first team.
“You can ask Angel why he didn’t sign, I don’t know what the behind the scenes talk is. Angel is an exceptional son, ”said Solskjaer the day before Gomes’ contract expires.
“Of course there are people around him who advise him to do different things. If he doesn’t sign the best for Angel and I will continue his career. If he signs for us, let’s kick it. “
While his representatives have tried to get a better deal elsewhere, whether with a longer first-team guarantee or an improved financial package, his opportunities at United have run out.
From Gomes’ point of view you can understand why he is frustrated, he wanted to test himself and look for a place in the first team with his boys club.
When Scott McTominay entered the formation of the first team under Mourinho, there were more technically gifted players in the Academy, but injuries saw him give a chance and he took it.
Mourinho was a fan and the Scottish international worked hard to keep his place on the team and hasn’t looked back since.
The same can be said for Brandon Williams. While other players on Neil Wood’s Under 23 team were drawing attention, Williams was doing his job to impress Solskjaer under the radar and, since his September debut, he has made 27 appearances in all competitions.
But Gomes, like Pogba eight years ago, is still looking outside.
However, Solskjaer wanted to keep Gomes and everyone behind the scenes of Old Trafford holds him in high regard. Earlier this year Nicky Butt talked about Gomes’ talent, calling him “incredible” and hoping to entrust his future to United.
But on this occasion, it appears that circumstances cannot align and will have to realize its potential elsewhere. For a player who turns 20 before the new season and who has only 46 minutes in the Premier League to his name it looks like it could be a big bet for Gomes to move on.
Only time will tell if, like Pogba, it was worth taking a risk.
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