Manchester City have agreed a fee of £11m plus add-ons with RSC Anderlecht for left-back Sergio Gomez, reports Sky Sports.
The Sky Blues have been on the lookout for a new left-sided defender after selling Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal in July. They were interested in signing Marc Cucurella, but failure to agree a fee with Brighton saw them lose out on the player to Chelsea in a £63m deal.
Cucurella’s departure to Chelsea last week prompted Pep Guardiola and Manchester City to look out for alternatives in a bid to strengthen the defence. RSC Anderlecht’s Sergio Gomez has emerged as an option, and the left-back is due to arrive in Manchester City in the next couple of days to undergo a medical and complete the move, reports Sky Sports.
Gomez, 21, was a standout performer in Belgium’s top tier last season, supplying six goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances. He thrived under former Man City skipper Vincent Kompany, impressing with his pace, crossing ability and attacking instincts.
However, the report states the Spanish Under-21 international could go out on loan and not don the Sky Blue jersey imminently. Manchester City will assess whether Gomez is ready for first-team football or needs a loan move to further his development.
It cannot be entirely ruled out that the 21-year-old will join Guardiola’s first-team squad this term, but the defending Premier League champions remain focused on recruiting an experienced option at left-back.
Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro and VfB Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa are on City’s radar, although the latter is not under serious consideration at the moment, the report adds.
Coming back to Gomez, who is considered a development player by City, should be kept in the first-team squad by Guardiola and not loaned out if the club fails to land an experienced left-back to compete with Joao Cancelo. The young Spaniard’s passing ability, vision, flair and work ethic will see him excel in an exciting City side.
As for now, let’s hope Gomez completes his medical without any complications and becomes a Cityzen as quickly as possible.