Manchester United are blessed with one of the best creative players in the league, but a succession plan is not yet clear.
One of the main faults with Manchester United in recent seasons is that the team have been too reliant on Bruno Fernandes.
This was laid bare during the recent league games Fernandes missed through injury, in which United failed to score and mustered only four shots on target in 180 minutes.
One player who was right there at Carrington was exciting academy prospect Angel Gomes, who left the club on a free transfer in 2020, with Gomes later explaining the club failed to provide a development plan.
Angel Gomes tops Ligue 1 for assists
Angel Gomes signed for Ligue 1 side Lille, who gave him exactly what he was missing, a plan. He was loaned to Portuguese side Boavista for a season, and later integrated gradually into the Lille side.
This past season he has enjoyed his best season yet, in which Lille pipped Nice to fourth place and Champions League qualification, a financial hit for current United investors Ineos.
With the Ligue 1 season now concluded, Angel Gomes finished joint top of the Ligue 1 assist charts.
While the number of eight assists sounds modest, it was a figure nobody in the French top tier bettered, not even Kylian Mbappe.
- 8 assists: Angel Gomes, Ousmane Dembele, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romain Del Castillo
- 7 assists: Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola, Junya Ito
Gomes, 23, is the youngest player to have created eight assists. He managed to do so with a high level of effectiveness, not even in the top 10 in the division for chances created.
Manchester United monitoring Angel Gomes
Angel Gomes is still on the same contract he signed for Lille for in 2020. This means he only has one year remaining.
Manchester United are monitoring his situation and progress, TBR Football reported, along with Aston Villa and Tottenham.
It’s unclear whether Gomes would consider a Manchester United return, the club would have to demonstrate there is a clear first team plan for him, unlike last time.
Gomes remains Manchester United’s youngest ever player, handed his debut under Jose Mourinho. Could he yet return, to eventually succeed Bruno Fernandes? Don’t rule it out.