Manchester United supporters have been in high spirits in the Transfer Tavern this season having seen their side make a wonderful start to the new Premier League campaign.
Jose Mourinho’s men finished last term on a high by winning the Europa League but a title challenge is expected of this United team in 2017/18, and they’ve made a fine start in their quest for their first Premier League crown since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013.
The Red Devils have won four of their opening five league games and drawn the other one to sit joint-top of the division with neighbours Manchester City, and have indeed opened up their Champions League campaign with a comfortable win over Basel.
All in all, things are heading in the right direction at Old Trafford, although they could be about to lose one of their starlets as reports suggest that 17-year-old Angel Gomes is yet to sign a professional contract with the club.
The Englishman has been in sensational form for the development squads at Old Trafford and was due to pen professionally on his 17th birthday on August 31, but has reportedly yet to do so.
And here are THREE reasons why United cannot afford to lose the talented forward…
Huge prospect
There aren’t many players in the development leagues that can say they’ve scored as many goals as Gomes has done over the last few years.
The 17-year-old bagged 12 goals and laid on six assists in just 20 games for the club’s Under-18 side last term to help them to a second place finish in the North Division, from which they went on to finish fourth in the overall standings.
His efforts saw him win the club’s Young Player of the Year award last time round, in which he joined some elite company in the form of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Marcus Rashford as previous winners.
And with one goal in three games already this season, as well as a goal and an assist in their UEFA Youth League success over Basel earlier this month, Gomes has a massive future in the game – a future which could be fulfilled at Old Trafford.
Won’t want a repeat of the Pogba situation
United have seen an academy starlet leave Old Trafford to go on and fulfill his potential, and it cost them a world-record fee to bring him back last year.
The Red Devils saw Paul Pogba leave United back in 2012 for a nominal fee to go and link up with Juventus, where he went on to become one of the best midfielders in the world, helping the Old Lady to four successive Serie A titles, as well as the final of the Champions League in 2015.
And United wanted him and thus splashed out £89 million to lure him back to Old Trafford, and that episode is sure to convince the Red Devils hierarchy not to repeat their errors once again with Gomes.
The 17-year-old, like Pogba, has enormous potential, and United risk letting him fulfill that somewhere else, and then having to pay extortionate sums of money to re-sign him, if they let him go.
Could take Rashford’s path
United need to look no further than Marcus Rashford’s meteoric rise to see what could happen if Gomes was thrown in at the deep end in the first team.
19-year-old Rashford was a relative unknown when he benefited from a late injury to Anthony Martial in their Europa League clash against Midtjylland back in February 2016, and the rest is history.
Rashford netted twice in that game and has since scored against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea, as well as earning his senior debut for England, and indeed going to Euro 2016 with Roy Hodgson’s side.
The forward is going from strength to strength, and is an example of what could happen when a young player is thrust into the first team picture.
That alone should be enough inspiration for Gomes to remain at Old Trafford, and indeed for United to secure his services for many years to come.
