Why Brighton went all in to sign Diego Gómez from Inter Miami

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Groß replacement 

There has been so much talk about Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets this season that it is easy to forget that Inter Miami CF have some fascinating South American prospect in their squad as well. The most in-demand is Diego Gómez. Brighton have been in negotiations with the Beckham-owned club for some time now to sign Gómez. According to a report by the New York Times negotiations have now advanced significantly and there is now a deal in place for Gómez to join Brighton for around €13m in January. 

“The interest is there,” Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said recently. “More than interest, it’s something that will happen sooner rather than later. We don’t know when. we can’t say when. But surely he will leave.” There is no doubt that a transfer of that category would be a watershed moment for the Major League Soccer club. Gómez to Brighton will pulverize Inter Miami’s current record sale of Gregore to Botafogo for €2.5m (overview). A transfer of that category would also make Gómez one of the most expensive transfer in MLS history. The current record is still held by his countryman Miguel Almirón (overview). 

Furthermore, such a fee would be significantly above Gómez’s market value of €8m. That is not to say that a high fee isn’t a possibility. After all, Gómez has seen his market value rise significantly this season at Inter Miami CF. Signed for €2.7m from Paraguayan club Libertad one year ago, Gómez has seen his market value rise by €5m to €8m since joining MLS. Indeed, Gómez was one of the biggest winners of the June market value update in which he saw his market value double. “He hit the ground running at Inter Miami, unfazed by his stellar teammates, and captained Paraguay to Olympic qualification,” Ralph Hannah, a Paraguayan football expert and host of the Guarani Vision Podcast, said. “Is he worth $30m? He might be because of his unique characteristics and ability to play on a high-pressing side.”

What sort of player is Gómez? “He’s a very box-to-box midfielder,” American-Paraguayan ESPN journalist Roberto Rojas said. “Very versatile by being able to track back and also on offense; works very well in a 4-3-3 supporting the forwards but really isn’t your classic no.10. Not afraid to also score and has the ability to be very hard working. Has a little bit of N’Golo Kante in him mixed with Pascal Groß. A big miss for Paraguay at this Copa America due to injury but will be vital for the Olympics if Paraguay want to go far.”

While Rojas compares Gómez to Kante and Groß, Hannah sees a bit of Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde. “Former coaches and teammates say Diego Gómez is painfully quiet off the pitch, but he leads by example on the field,” Hannah added. “An attacking midfielder in the style of a no.8 he can win the ball high up to create chances both for himself and others. A true all-rounder, in his final season at Libertad, he led the league in shots, dribbles, and ball-carrying from central midfield. The question mark is over his fitness and whether he could sustain his intense style at the very top.”

Indeed, injuries have been a question mark already. An ankle injury cost him the Copa América but opened the door for him to participate at the Olympics where he has provided two assists in three games. The upside might be well worth the risk. Plus, Brighton are set to lose Groß to Dortmund anyhow, and Gómez could be a good replacement. According to Wyscout, Gómez is currently ninth in MLS with 0.91 key passes per 90 minutes, and eighth with 1.08 smart passes per 90 minutes. Of course, those numbers have to be seen in the context of playing in MLS for one of the most dominant teams.