According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City is in talks with Anderlecht about signing their talented left-back Sergio Gomez. The defending Premier League champions see the 21-year-old as a future star due to a lack of options at left-back.
Pep Guardiola Impressed After Extensively Scouting Gomez
The Citizens consider the left-back as a high-potential talent that can develop into a quality first-team player for them in the future. They extensively scouted the 21-year-old and their move for the Spaniard is not related to any other transfer targets for the senior team.
Romano adds that there are also talks about loaning him to Girona in La Liga if an agreement with Anderlecht can be reached. The youngster is also interested in making a move.
The Premier League club is still looking for a senior left-back to compete with Joao Cancelo, who is currently their only viable option in that position. While the Manchester giants were interested in signing Brighton defender Marc Cucurella, they had a £30 million bid rejected and have decided to end their pursuit of him. They are, however, still looking for alternatives.
Possible Replacement for Oleksandr Zinchenko?
Pep Guardiola allowed Oleksandr Zinchenko to leave last month, as he opted to join Arsenal for more regular game-time at the Emirates Stadium. But Gomez has the quality to be a possible long-term replacement for the Ukrainian defender, as he shares some similar traits.
The Spaniard, like Zinchenko, can play multiple roles. He typically plays as a left-back, attacker midfielder, and, on occasion, right-back. He is a product of Barcelona’s ‘La Masia’ youth academy, where he also won the UEFA Youth League in 2017/18.
The 21-year-old is a regular for Spain’s U21 team, scoring four goals in five appearances. When he first joined Borussia Dortmund in 2018, sporting director Michael Zorc praised him, saying, “Sergio Gomez is without a doubt one of the best players of his age in the world.”
After joining Anderlecht from Dortmund last season, the Spaniard appeared in 49 games, scoring seven goals and providing 15 assists. He’s an exciting, creative full-back who can help the Citizens add depth while also securing the left-back position in the long run.
