Angel Gomes faces pivotal spell as Marseille role comes under scrutiny | OneFootball

Angel Gomes’ free transfer to Marseille last summer looked shrewd, the former Manchester United academy graduate arriving after a standout Lille season. Months on, adapting to Roberto De Zerbi’s ideas and OM’s tempo has proved uneven.

According to GetFootballNewsFrance.com, he has struggled to nail down a starting place, which jars with the idea that OM were recruiting a player entering his prime.

He has yet to start a Champions League match and, after regular Ligue 1 minutes early on, has recently been rotated as De Zerbi has favoured a double pivot of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Matt O’Riley for control.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching and competition for England fierce, his entourage are open to a January exit if his role does not grow. He has said he would prefer an England call-up and that representing the Three Lions remains a major goal.

There have been flashes. Used higher as a No 10, he delivered a standout OM showing in the first half against Brest in November, capped by a free-kick goal.

Freed from deeper duties, he linked neatly with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the wingers, using close control and vision to unsettle compact blocks.

He has moved from a Lille side tailored to him into a shifting Marseille midfield, and De Zerbi’s system tolerates little passivity. Physical robustness remains an area for adaptation as January nears and an England return stays distant, leaving a choice between staying to make OM his own or moving in search of certainty.

Source: GetFootballNewsFrance.com