Manchester City might have enough money to make King Croesus look like he’s fallen on hard times, but do not assume that a club with a seemingly endless supply of funds do not appreciate the importance of value.
The Premier League champions have, in the past, walked away from deals they deemed to be somewhat ‘overpriced’. Alexis Sanchez and Harry Kane, for instance. City probably had a point, too, as far as Harry Maguire was concerned (Sky Sports).
So, with Chelsea now storming into pole position for Marc Cucurella – offering a colossal £20 million more than Man City were willing to pay for the Brighton and Hove Albion left-back – it should not come as much of a surprise to those familiar with City’s transfer dealings that the club from the North West have now turned to an alternative option.
One younger, and cheaper, than Cucurella.
Goodbye Marc Cucurella, hello Sergio Gomez
According to Het Nieuwsblad and The Athletic, Man City have entered talks with Anderlecht to sign Sergio Gomez.
The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund youngster provided seven goals and 15 assists from left-back last season alone. No wonder Pep Guardiola – a coach who bestows so much creative licence onto his full-backs – likes a swashbuckling La Masia graduate who honed his considerable talents under one Vincent Kompany in Belgium.
What’s more, Pep’s brother, Pere, works for the agency that represents 21-year-old Gomez.
“There are many big clubs in Europe. You never know what will happen in the future,” the forward-thinking full-back said a couple of months ago.
“Look at a boy like David Silva, who played in Spain before he left for Manchester City. This team (City) clearly has a style of play that I like and that matches my style. Both Barca and City are teams I like because of their style.”
Everton’s loss may be Man City’s gain
This is not the first time the former Spain U21 international has registered on the radar of a Premier League club this summer either. Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked at times.
The Athletic, meanwhile, claim that Everton scouted Gomez ‘extensively’ last season. That is, before opting to bring in Ruben Vinagre alongside Vitaliy Mykolenko.
And while Vinagre’s status as a loan signing may give the impression of a more affordable addition than Gomez, it’s worth pointing out that the purchase clause in his contract stands at £17 million (Record).
That is a lot of money for a back-up left-back; One who failed to make any sort of an impression at Sporting, and was sold by Wolves just 12 months ago due to apparent concerns over his defensive acumen.
It is not certain at this stage how much Man City will pay for Gomez. But he’s unlikely to be too much more than £17 million. For an Everton side who apparently didn’t want to pay big money for a second-choice left-back, that eventual cost of that Vinagre deal could come back to haunt them if Guardiola does what he does best and makes a world-class footballer out of another fresh-faced young talent.
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