Spurs leading the race for “unbelievably gifted” £0 star

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Latest on Spurs’ midfield search

One of the biggest bargains of the summer could be Angel Gomes. It seems like the England international will not renew his deal at French outfit Lille, and will depart the Ligue 1 club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

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Well, according to a report from Pete O’Rourke for Football Insider, the Lilywhites ‘are leading the race’ to sign Gomes on a free this summer. This move comes as part of a ‘planning a potential midfield overhaul’ from Postecoglou over the summer.

One of the teams thought to be interested in signing Gomes at one stage was Manchester United, from which Gomes is an academy graduate.

However, the Red Devils are not thought to be in the running, as per the report. Instead, the North Londoners could face competition from clubs across Europe, from the likes of France, Spain and Germany, should they wish to sign Gomes.

Why Gomes could be Spurs’ own Rice

Despite being just 24 years of age, Gomes has been in and around professional football since 2017. As a 16-year-old, he made his debut for Man United, the youngest player in 64 years to achieve the feat, beating the record held by the great Duncan Edwards.

After leaving Old Trafford on a free transfer in 2020, the Englishman joined Lille. He became an established member of their first team the year after joining, following a loan at Portuguese side Boavista.

In total, the versatile midfielder has played 134 times for the club, scoring ten goals and grabbing 19 assists. That included eight Ligue 1 assists last term, where he excelled in a number-eight role.

He is also capable of playing as a number ten and a number six, offering great versatility for Spurs’ midfield should he make the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 24-year-old has already made a great impact for England. Despite not being included by Thomas Tuchel in his first squad during the recent international break, he thrived under interim boss Lee Carsley.

Gomes grabbed a brilliant assist for Jack Grealish against Finland, showing composure under pressure and sliding the Manchester City winger in behind with a lovely reverse pass.

If Spurs sign Gomes, he could become their very own verison of Declan Rice. The Arsenal star was described as “a wonderful midfield player” by Jamie Carragher in February and has certainly made a big impact in his 91 Gunners appearances so far.

Indeed, there are some differences between Rice and Gomes, notably in their physicality. Standing at just 5 foot 6 the Lille star is more lightweight than the 6 foot 2 Arsenal number 41.

However, Gomes makes up for it with his ability on the ball. He is extremely press-resistant and able to evade tackles with relative ease.

Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates after the match

Indeed, he can certainly be compared to Rice statistically on FBref, with the pair noted as similar players in Europe’s top five leagues, among their fellow midfielders.

Per 90 minutes, the former Man United star averages 5.98 progressive passes, compared to 6.21 for Rice. He also averages 0.61 successful take-ons, with Rice averaging just 0.42 per game.

Gomes and Rice – key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Gomes	Rice
Progressive passes	5.98	6.21
Key passes	1.71	1.92
Goal-creating actions	0.37	0.29
Successful take-ons	0.61	0.42
Tackles won	0.73	0.75
Stats from FBref

As football statistician Statman Dave explained, Gomes is an “unbelievably gifted” player. He has an abundance of technical quality, and whilst he is smaller than some midfielders, he still possesses the ability to break up play, as the stats show.