Marseille have confirmed that they have reached an agreement in principle to sign ex-Lille midfielder Angel Gomesending two Premier League giants’ chances of a deal.

The former Manchester United academy product revealed in May that he would leave Les Dogues when his deal expired at the end of the campaign, bringing the curtain down on a five-year spell at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Gomes racked up 10 goals and 19 assists in 134 matches during his time at Lille, catching the eye of then-England head coach Lee Carsley in the process.

The playmaker earned four senior caps for England during the UEFA Nations League last year, having previously been part of Carsley’s European Championship-winning squad in the Under-21s.

Gomes’s availability supposedly put a few European giants on red alert, as it was claimed in the spring that Spurs had been in talks to sign the 24-year-old as a free agent.

Marseille confirm agreement in principle for free agent Gomes

The League gants Barcelona were also said to have taken a liking to the England international, although Man United decided against giving him a second chance at Old Trafford.

However, neither Spurs nor Barcelona appear to have followed up their interest, allowing Marseille to swoop in and quickly conclude a deal for Gomes on a free transfer.

Les Olympiens have now confirmed that the midfielder is heading to the south of France, saying in a brief statement: “Olympique de Marseille has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Angel Gomes for the English international midfielder to join the club.”

Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Gomes will pen a three-year contract with Marseille until the summer of 2028, and the 24-year-old will link arms with two other Englishman already in Roberto De Zerbi’s ranks.

Mason Greenwood is thriving in France, managing 22 goals and six assists across all tournaments last season, while Jonathan Rowe will join on a permanent deal from Norwich City following a season-long loan in 2024-25.

Will Spurs regret missing out on Gomes deal?

Given that Man United have signed Matheus Cunhaconvinced Bruno Fernandes to stay and are working to capture Bryan Mbeumotheir decision not to bring Gomes back to Old Trafford made complete sense.

Spurs were not exactly blessed in the creativity department towards the end of last season, though, as all of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall missed the Europa League final – not that it mattered in the end.

However, both Maddison and Kulusevski should be back in action by the middle of September, and thanks to their Champions League ticket, Tottenham can aim high when it comes to transfers this summer.

Crystal Palace’s Rear seat is believed to be a prime target of Tottenham’s, one with Premier League experience and one that they could potentially attain for around £60m.

In contrast, Gomes has limited experience in England and would have also arrived to concerns over his physicality – he is just 5ft 5in tall – so Spurs should not be losing sleep over this one.