Arsenal eye move for former Manchester United star as they look to bolster midfield: Reports
Arsenal are reportedly in pole position to lure former Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes away from LOSC Lille in the near future.
Gomes, 24, has cemented himself as one of the best midfielders in the Ligue 1 over the last couple of seasons. He has helped his current club qualify for the UEFA Champions League this season after guiding them to fourth spot in the domestic table last season.
Now, according to Caught Offside, Arsenal are currently leading the transfer race to sign Gomes, who is in the final 10 months of his current contract. They are likely to face difficult competition from Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Juventus, Napoli, and Borussia Dortmund.
The Gunners, who roped in the likes of Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori earlier this summer, could launch a move for Gomes next January. They could rope in the player and slowly phase Jorginho, whose current contract will expire next June, out of their plans this season.
Gomes, who made 10 appearances for Manchester United before leaving on a free transfer in 2020, has helped Lille lift a trophy so far. He has registered eight goals and 18 assists in 118 overall outings for his club, who are believed to offer the player a deal until 2029 soon.
Former Arsenal star and Manchester United target lauded by national team head coach
Speaking to Danish sports magazine Tipsbladet, Denmark U18 head coach Morten Eskesen showered praise on former Arsenal striker and Manchester United target Chido Obi-Martin. He said (h/t Metro):
"His greatest competence is that he scores many goals. If you saw some of the goals at the [U17] European Championships, he's a really good finisher and positional, so he gets free for that. He is also good man-to-man."
Sharing further thoughts on the 16-year-old ex-Arsenal star, he added:
"He is good at running in depth in relation to getting into free positions. His finishing skills are what allow him to score so many goals. One is to get the chances, number two is to score. There he is above average and that is what makes him so interesting."
Obi-Martin, whose deal at Arsenal expired earlier this June, has emerged as one of the most promising strikers in his age bracket of late. He scored 32 goals in just 18 U18 Premier League games last campaign.
The Denmark U18 international has reportedly reached an agreement to move to Manchester United later this November. He is expected to sign a professional contract at Erik ten Hag's side after his 17th birthday.