Tottenham 'lead' Premier League rivals in midfielder race as player admits to interest

Tottenham are said to be leading the race to sign an England international on a free transfer this summer. Angel Gomes is expected to return to the Premier League this summer with his Lille contract just a couple of months away from expiring.

Gomes is already free to negotiate a pre-contract with any club outside France, but he is yet to strike a deal, likely to wait until the end of the season to actually put pen-to-paper.

The midfielder has been clear about the fact he will let his contract run down in order to leave for free this summer. The four-time England international has made 105 league appearances for Lille since he arrived from Manchester United in 2020, but he has featured less this season, leading to claims that he was being left out due to his contract stance.

But Lille boss Bruno Génésio has denied those claims, claiming the midfielder’s absences earlier in the season were down to an injury. He said: “[The injury] needed intervention so that he is no longer hampered [by it]. We had to account for a four-week absence so that he could once again be operational. It was preferable that we intervened right away rather than wait and let him play handicapped [by the problem].”

As for Gomes, he said of his situation: “I’m aware of clubs enquiring about my situation, but I’m now completely focused on Lille. I want to finish the season in the best way possible, and then we will see what happens, I’m focused on the present and not on negotiations.”

In the Premier League, it seems as though Tottenham and West Ham are the main clubs pushing for a deal with Gomes, with various reports suggesting both London clubs have already held talks. The latest report, which comes from Football Insider, claims it is Tottenham who are edging closer to striking a deal for the 24-year-old, holding an obvious financial advantage.

It comes after reports that West Ham had seen a generous wage offer turned down. Like is often the case with free transfers, players demand much bigger contracts because they know their potential new club is already saving tens of millions in transfer fees.

What is not clear in Tottenham’s case is who is driving the transfer charge, with Ange Postecoglou’s future far from clear due to the shortcomings of this season. That could be a concerning factor for Gomes, who realistically doesn’t know who will be in charge of Spurs next season.

Postecoglou will likely need to oversee a strong finish to the season to keep his job, and particularly in the Europa League, with the competition Tottenham’s only remaining avenue to European competition. The North London club are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League and without any realistic opportunity to finish in the top seven or eight, with the Premier League likely to have eight spots for European qualification this season. Spurs are currently 12 points off eighth place with just nine games remaining.