Everton have been linked with a potential move for Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes
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Angel Gomes of Lille
Angel Gomes of Lille(Image: Dave Winter/FEP/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Everton-linked Angel Gomes has confirmed he will leave French club Lille when his contract expires this summer. An article by Give Me Sport last week stated that according to their sources, Everton are making a fresh attempt to win the race to sign Gomes but there is an awareness behind the scenes that they will have to fight off the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United after they have also declared their interest ahead of the summer.
Gomes has now confirmed that he will be leaving Lille, where he has been since 2020, as a free agent at the end of June, when his current contract expires. Taking to Instagram, the England international said: “After four unforgettable years at LOSC Lille (he was on loan at Portuguese side Boavista between 2020-21), it’s time for me to say goodbye. This club has been more than just a team — it’s been a family, a home, and a place that has shaped me both on and off the pitch.
“Like any journey, there were ups and downs, highs and lows, but I’m truly grateful to my teammates and the fans for sticking with me throughout. I’m proud of what we achieved together and thankful for every moment.
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“To the fans – thank you for your amazing support and for believing in me. I will forever be grateful. I always gave everything I had for the badge and for all of you.
“Lille will always have a special place in my heart. Merci et a bientot.”
The GMS article also stated that their sources have been informed that David Moyes is an admirer of Gomes, who has been restricted to just 20 appearances in all competitions this season, and that has resulted in Everton showing a willingness to reignite their interest after they previously considered trying to turn his head. If the Blues do want to land the 24-year-old Londoner, they have already got a hotline to him that could help convince him to make a move.
Gomes became Manchester United’s youngest player since Duncan Edwards when he replaced Wayne Rooney as a 16-year-old substitute in 2017 and his best friend is Everton midfielder James Garner with the pair having grown up together as team-mates at the Red Devils academy before the Birkenhead-born player returned to his native Merseyside when making a £9million switch to Goodison Park in 2022. Speaking in an interview published in the ECHO last year, Garner said: “Angel is my closest mate. He and I have been mates since we first met, we speak all the time.
“He had a similar choice to me, a bit earlier in his career and people were saying ‘what’s he doing’ but he’s like me, he just wants to play football and hasn’t lost track of that. He’s not bothered about x, y and z and I feel he’s made the right move, he’s playing every week now.
“I probably spoke to him (about Everton), I can’t quite remember, but we speak all the time. He is someone I would go to for advice because he’s someone who is really mature and knows quite a lot.
“He would have just advised me to go for it. He always says you need to back your own ability which is what I do.”