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Three ideal destinations for Angel Gomes

Expectations were really big from Angel Gomes at Manchester United from the very moment he made his breakthrough to the youth side of the Red Devils.

Angel Gomes refused to commit his future at his boyhood club

Bengaluru, July 9: Expectations were really big from Angel Gomes at Manchester United from the very moment he made his breakthrough to the youth side of the Red Devils. The youngster made history by becoming the first player born in the 21st century to play for the club in the Premier League.

He was regarded very highly by those at Old Trafford and wanted the young midfielder to continue his development and fulfil the potential that saw him win the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year Award in 2017.

However, to everyone's surprise, the youngster refused to commit his future at his boyhood club whom he joined at the age of five and looks on his way to sign for a new club this summer on a free transfer.

It is claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the Manchester United hierarchy were desperate to tie down the youngster at the club for a foreseeable future but the player himself wanted out as he wanted to take the next step in his career. His decision is clearly not about money as the Red Devils offered him a lucrative deal for his age.

Rather, it was about his own development and probably about his frustration of not being a part of the senior setup more often unlike some of the other youngsters at the club. It is believed that a host of clubs across Europe have lined up for the 19-year-old and here, we will take a look at three ideal destinations for the teenager.

1. Chelsea

Frank Lampard has completely changed Chelsea's much infamous approach with youngsters in just a season. The Blues used to severely criticized for their philosophy of loaning out young players and they also had to pay for that as the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and many more slipped through their hands.

After Lampard took over, things have drastically changed at Stamford Bridge as young players like Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Fikayo Tomori and more recently, Billy Gilmour, have all made the most of their chances this season and have been some of the top performers for Chelsea this season.

Gomes has been linked with a move to West London a number of times and might be encouraged by Lampard's youth revolution but things could change next season with summer arrivals like Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and a few others making their move to the club.

2. Borussia Dortmund

In recent years, Borussia Dortmund has become the go-to destination for young players especially after the success of Jadon Sancho. Gomes, who captained the English Under-17 side that also consisted Sancho to glory in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017, could follow the footsteps of his friend in order to get more chances at the senior level.

With Mario Gotze departing the club on a free transfer, Gomes could prove to be his replacement in the number ten role and there is hardly any doubt that a move to Signal Iduna Park would serve the development of the 19-year-old well. By signing the likes of Erling Haaland, Dortmund have shown that they can beat even the biggest clubs in Europe for talented youngsters.

Another Manchester United target Jude Bellingham also seems to be on his way to Dortmund snubbing Manchester United which shows how much of an attraction the Bundesliga outfit has become for young players.

3. Bayer Leverkusen

Due to Gomes' small stature and lack of physicality, it would not be ideal for him to stay in England and moves to Germany or Spain, therefore, makes more sense. Bayer Leverkusen is a team in Bundesliga who have always been an example to follow when it comes to developing young players. They have produced many world-class talents in the past such as Michael Ballack, Arturo Vidal, Bernd Leno and many more.

In recent years, they have produced top talents like Julian Brandt, Leon Bailey and more recently Kai Havertz. With 'generational talent' Havertz looking to be on his way out of BayArena this summer, Gomes could prove to be a very much capable replacement for the German wonderkid. Under a manager like Peter Bosz, the Englishman can truly become the player he was always destined to be.

Story first published: Thursday, July 9, 2020, 19:56 [IST]
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