Manchester United youngster Angel Gomes stalls over signing first professional deal… with Barcelona showing interest
MANCHESTER UNITED are sweating on the future of wonderkid Angel Gomes, who is being tracked by Barcelona.
Gomes was set to pen his first professional contract on his seventeenth birthday last month.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: BET £5 GET A FREE £10 BET
However the deal is still on the table waiting to be signed, but the teenager is able to walk away from Old Trafford next summer for a nominal fee.
Gomes has a year left as a Scholar at United and clubs are currently restricted from agreeing a deal to lure the forward away.
But the Old Trafford hierarchy will be hitting the panic button while the exciting youngster has not committed his future to the club.
Gomes has enjoyed a rapid rise through the Academy ranks and made his first team debut as a late sub for Wayne Rooney against Crystal Palace in May.
The youngster who joined the United academy while at Junior school, has captained England at youth level made history becoming the youngest player since Duncan Edwards to make his first team bow.
United have been in this perilous position before – and it cost them £84million to repair the damage.
Latest Man Utd news
Paul Pogba saw his future elsewhere and refused to sign a new contract at United under former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
The midfielder walked away and joined Juventus for a nominal fee of £800,000 set by a tribunal in 2012.
If a club were to tempt Gomes away, the fee set by a tribunal next summer could be in excess of £4m.
A number of European giants have been monitoring the situation for several years and are ready to step in if the teenage sensation decides to quit the Premier League.
His potential departure could be a huge blow and another case of a leading club on the continent plundering a Premier League youngster.
Noisy neighbours Manchester City were stung last month when exciting winger Jadon Sancho quit the club to join Borussia Dortmund.
Chris Willock walked out of Arsenal in June to sign a five-year contract with Portuguese giants Benfica.
Gomes sent United fans into a frenzy with a stunning individual goal for United Under-18’s against Derby this month.
The kid is highly thought of and former United star Clayton Blackmore believed he was good enough last year to feature for Mourinho's first team, aged just 15.
Blackmore said: "There is a lad coming through called Angel Gomes, who could play tomorrow. I think he’s that good.
“He’s got an old head on his shoulders as well.
“He’s good enough to be in the first team now but it’s going to take him a year or two before everybody trusts him.
“A lot could happen in those two years, so hopefully he’s going to be still there and play for the first team soon.”
