Angel Gomes celebrates after scoring for Lille away from home earlier this season.
Angel Gomes could be available on a free transfer this summer.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, this summer's transfer window will be one of the most important in Manchester United's history.
The club is on course to record their lowest-ever Premier League finish and only winning the Europa League can save their season from being a complete disaster.
Ruben Amorim's appointment in November was supposed to mark the beginning of a much-needed change at Old Trafford. However, it has become increasingly clear that only multiple transfer windows will turn that dream into a reality.
United need to start afresh this summer by cutting their cloth and saying farewell to several players who have outstayed their welcome. Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen, who are both out-of-contract, should lead the departures.
Despite Amorim's suggestion that United will still be able to "call all the best players" with or without Champions League qualification in the future, the reality is that a place in Europe's premier club competition will make them a far more attractive option for prospective signings.
If United do win the Europa League this season and secure Champions League qualification for next, the financial rewards that come with it will be welcomed. United need as many cash injections as they can get.
But for the amount of work that needs to be done to the squad, United's budget, regardless of their European status, is unlikely to be able to cover all bases in one window. United will have a list of priorities and signing a striker has to be the leading objective.
United have been short of goals throughout the season and they desperately need an established No.9 to come in and hit the ground running.
But with Eriksen poised to depart when his contract expires and United likely to push hard to sell Casemiro, the centre of midfield is also going to need addressing. United signed Manuel Ugarte last summer to succeed Casemiro and at the age of 23 he has the capacity to become the long-term battering ram they need in the engine room.
Manchester United signed Manuel Ugarte with a long-term vision in mind. (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images.)
However, prior to his current injury, Kobbie Mainoo was trialled as one of the two No.10s - and it was that tactical switch from Amorim that appeared to find an extra gear in the England international's game. In his absence, Bruno Fernandes has dropped into the second No.8 position next to Ugarte and it remains to be seen if that switch will become permanent.
But with Eriksen and Casemiro highly likely to move on, they will need replacing. Eriksen is a free-roaming midfielder, capable of doing a little bit of everything, whether it be dictating the game from deep or advancing into forward areas.
If United want to sign a player of a similar mould, they could do worse than re-signing Angel Gomes. The United academy graduate is out-of-contract at Lille this summer and expected to move on, meaning he will be available on a free transfer.
Not turning 25 until August, Gomes, who left United in 2020 after turning down a new deal, is still a few years away from reaching his peak. He made his senior debut for England this season after catching the eye at youth level for several years.
His small frame and quick and nimble movement make him an attractive operator, capable of progressing the ball, dancing out of tight spaces and generally dictating matters from a deep-lying position.
He has been linked with a flurry of clubs in recent months, including United, and there is a strong chance he will return to the Premier League after five seasons in France.
Angel Gomes is being strongly linked with a return to England. (Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images.)
Although he has made stellar progress over the duration of his Lille career, his development has somewhat slowed this season amid fitness and injury troubles. He has made just 20 appearances across all competitions and has started just two of Lille's last 13 Ligue 1 matches, in which he has been substituted at half-time in both.
He sustained a calf injury towards the end of November and has struggled to get into any sort of rhythm since. He was taken off at half-time against Paris Saint-Germain last weekend and was an unused substitute against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Of course, any player can encounter periods where fitness issues can be problematic, but it is something United will have to be mindful of if they decide to swoop for Gomes this summer, even if the prospect of signing a player of his quality for free is tempting.