There’s always a real sense of intrigue when a player chooses to fly the nest at Manchester United, with supporters no doubt torn between wishing the star well, while also hoping that his exit doesn’t come back to bite them.
In the case of Angel Gomes, for instance, the Red Devils will certainly be ruing letting him slip from their grasp back in 2020, with the Englishman leaving on a free after limited game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having made just ten first-team appearances for the club in all competitions.
The youngest player to feature for the first team since Duncan Edwards after replacing Wayne Rooney at the age of just 16 and 263 days back in 2017, Gomes has since gone on to flourish in France, via a stint in Portugal, at Ligue 1 side Lille, culminating in a first senior England call-up last month.
Last season in the league, the 24-year-old created 15 ‘big chances’ and provided eight assists from his deep-lying midfield berth, with speculation rife that United are among the clubs who are eyeing a potential move for the diminutive playmaker next summer.
With less than 12 months to run on his existing deal, the 5 foot 6 sensation surely won’t be short of suitors, with the Red Devils plotting a potential Paul Pogba repeat in bringing back an asset they previously let go for nothing.
The one-time Boavista loanee may not be the only asset that INEOS could look to bring back to Old Trafford, however, with there another rising star who could be worthy of a second chance in the near future.
Man Utd have a chance to right a wrong
In cases like Pogba and Gomes, talented youngsters perhaps need to move on from the United bubble in order to flourish, allowing them the chance to gain regular game time away from the intense scrutiny that life in Manchester provides.
There is no harm in then plucking those talents once they have realised their potential elsewhere, however, with the club likely to be keeping a close watch on the likes of Willy Kambwala and Hannibal Mejbri in the coming years – two players who have buyback clauses in the deals that took them to Villarreal and Burnley, respectively.
The same could also be said of a certain Alvaro Fernandez, with the promising Spaniard having made the move to Benfica on an initial £5m deal over the summer after a six-month loan spell – a move that also includes a buyback (as well as a sell-on clause)
The 21-year-old departed after failing to make a first-team appearance for the club, with the towering left-back having arrived from Real Madrid as part of a trio of Spanish imports in the summer of 2020, alongside Marc Jurado (Barcelona) and Alejandro Garnacho (Atletico Madrid).
While Garnacho has since gone on to sparkle, both Jurado and Fernandez have fallen by the wayside, although after a bright start to life in Portugal, a return to United in the near future should be in store to help aid the club’s left-back woes.
Alvaro Fernandez's start at Benfica
Described as a “quality” player with an “amazing engine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig during his time in United’s youth ranks – where he notably made 47 U21 appearances, providing 14 goals and assists – the youngster notably sparkled during the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Preston North End.
That stint at Deepdale saw Fernandez register six assists in 42 games in all competitions as an illustration of his attacking prowess, having been hailed as “immaculate” by then-boss Ryan Lowe.
With Tyrell Malacia subsequently missing the entirety of last season through injury, and with Luke Shaw enduring his own stints on the sidelines, the hope was that Fernandez would come into the first-team picture.
Ultimately, however, he was sent on loan to Granada for the first half of the campaign, before joining his current side on an initial temporary deal in the winter window – even with Sergio Reguilon’s own loan having been cut short in January.
Yet again, United have been forced to start the new campaign without a recognised left-back, while the Spaniard has flourished again in Lisbon, notably averaging 1.8 key passes per game from his six outings in Liga Portugal in 2024/25. Only Amad Diallo (2.4) has bettered that return among those back at United in the Premier League.
He also impressed during his first Champions League start against FK Crvena zvezda last week, providing three key passes from his defensive berth in that 2-1 win, while also completing three of his five crosses.
A key pass is a pass that directly leads to a shot at the opponent’s goal.
The Spain U21 international remains rather raw, but at a time when Erik ten Hag’s side are so lacking in that left-sided department – with Harry Amass still also just 17 – he could well have been a worthy part of the Red Devils squad this season.
Thankfully, while the club have let him slip from their grasp, the inclusion of that buyback clause ensures that they could have first dibs over re-signing the 6 foot 1 ace in future, allowing Ten Hag and co the chance to rectify their mistake.
Player
New club
Fee
Scott McTominay
Napoli
£25m
Mason Greenwood
Marseille
£26.6m
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
West Ham
£15m
Willy Kambwala
Villarreal
£4.6m
Hannibal
Burnley
£5.4m
Facundo Pellistri
Panathinaikos
£6.8m
Alvaro Fernandez
Benfica
£5m
Donny van de Beek
Girona
£500k
Raphael Varane
Como
Free
Omari Forson
Monza
Free
Jadon Sancho
Chelsea
Initial loan
Anthony Martial
AEK Athens
Free
Brandon Williams
Free agent
N/A
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