“The most intelligent player” – Why West Ham must sign 24yo former Man United playmaker: Opinion

Premier League clubs are reportedly circling for LOSC Lille midfielder Angel Gomes, with his contract expiring next summer. The England international has been playing remarkably well for the Ligue 1 side and could switch back to the Premier League in 2025.

In our view, West Ham must be at the front of the queue to sign the Manchester United academy graduate.

Gomes had a terrific 2023/24 campaign. He failed to register a goal but created 15 big chances (eight assists) in 31 league outings. He recorded two goals and ten assists across all competitions.

Besides the numbers, the 24-year-old has gone from an ultra-attacking number 10 and developed into a fantastic all-round midfielder who can control and dictate proceedings.

His exciting showings in Ligue 1 led Lee Carsley to call him up for the England national team. He debuted against the Republic of Ireland before he started and delivered an excellent performance against Finland.

His stellar outing earned him praise from Carsley, who has made Gomes a staple of his team through the youth ranks.

“He absolutely loves football,” said Carsley (via the Daily Mail) when asked why he enjoys working with Gomes. “He watches football. He’s interested in tactics and knows all the players in any league. If you ask for feedback, you need to be prepared that he’s going to give you some on the session or how we’re going to build up.

“He’ll help in terms of saying some build-ups he’s done at other clubs or what he’s played against. He plays in France, so obviously, he sees different things. He fully deserves it, and it’s good that the performance you’ve seen today we’ve seen over the last three or four years.”

Gomes’ former coach at Lille Paulo Fonseca also regularly lauded the diminutive midfielder, once describing him as the most intelligent player in the team. “Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team. He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn, and he is a player with big skills, big technique,” said Fonseca (via the BBC).

West Ham Must be in the mix for Gomes

The Hammers are crying out for a midfielder of Gomes’ ilk. Despite shelling out big money to sign several talented stars over the summer, the recruitment team failed to identify a player who could collect the ball from the defence and connect to the attackers. The team needs that profile.

Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek, and Carlos Soler are all decent midfielders in their right. However, they do not have that ability to link defence to attack seamlessly – something Gomes thrives on.

Lucas Paqueta does a great job of dropping deep to perform this function, but he is much better in the final third, where he can influence proceedings better.

Also, with the uncertainty regarding Paqueta’s future, West Ham should secure a replacement ahead of time. A potentially lengthy ban hangs over his head, and if he escapes punishment from the FA, he could be on the move next summer.

Gomes fits the bill to replace the Brazilian stylistically and can even offer Paqueta’s thrust up front, having played as a number eight/ten for much of his early career.

West Ham should act fast and secure Gomes’ signature immediately after the January transfer window opens. His intelligence, playmaking ability, and versatility would be a perfect fit for Julen Lopetegui’s system.