Chelsea beaten as surprise suitor lines up freed Man Utd man

Angel Gomes Manchester United TEAMtalk

Angel Gomes looks destined for a surprise move to France after coming to the end of his contract at Manchester United.

The 19-year-old left United at the end of June after turning down a new deal worth £25,000 a week.

That came as something of a disappointment to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who admitted to his frustration that no agreement had been reached.

As per reports at the time, Gomes snubbed the offer after receiving “a series of offers” from across Europe. One of those was said to be from Chelsea, though Frank Lampard was quick to play down that link.

Asked if Chelsea have made a bid for Gomes, Lampard said: “Yes, I can elaborate to the point that it’s never been mentioned at my end; so that’s it.”

And, when pressed on any interest, Lampard added: “No.”

Chelsea, nonethless, were reported to have retained a watching brief over the England U20 star. However, any hopes they had of securing his transfer appear to have faded. That’s after Ligue 1 outfit Lille emerged as favourites for his signature.

As per Sky Sports, Lille have already held protracted talks with the player and his representative. They are said to be in the driving seat to secure a deal but face competition from Spanish side Almeria.

 

Whoever does agree a deal will have to pay United compensation given his age.

 

Solskjaer quiet on Angel Gomes snub

Solskjaer gave little away when questioned about why the player had rejected the chance to stay at United.

Speaking back in June, Solskjaer said: “You can ask Angel why he’s not signed.

“I don’t know what the talks are behind the scenes. Angel’s a top kid.

“Of course, there are people around him that advise him to do different things. If he doesn’t sign, all the best to Angel and I’m going to follow his career. If he signs for us, let’s kick on.”

 

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