Welcome Sergio Gómez!

[CTID Hants]

AGAIN, follow the to the source................... Fabrizio (well done for taking notice of the BLLUE TICK) actually says..................

Excl: Sergio Gómez to Manchester City, here we go! Verbal agreement reached with Anderlecht. Fee will be more than €10m, closer to €15m - to be signed soon. #MCFC

Sergio has good chances to be part of City team - otherwise, he will be loaned out to La Liga side Girona.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano?ref_ ... start%3D20

[johnny crossan]

AGAIN, follow the to the source................... Fabrizio (well done for taking notice of the BLLUE TICK) actually says..................

Excl: Sergio Gómez to Manchester City, here we go! Verbal agreement reached with Anderlecht. Fee will be more than €10m, closer to €15m - to be signed soon. #MCFC

Sergio has good chances to be part of City team - otherwise, he will be loaned out to La Liga side Girona.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano?ref_ ... start%3D20

Not sure what you are waffling about, I just posted the tweet - a more interesting point is that Gomez could be part of a transfer triangle allowing City to acquire a more experienced player without being held to ransom.

[CTID Hants]

AGAIN, follow the to the source................... Fabrizio (well done for taking notice of the BLLUE TICK) actually says..................

Excl: Sergio Gómez to Manchester City, here we go! Verbal agreement reached with Anderlecht. Fee will be more than €10m, closer to €15m - to be signed soon. #MCFC

Sergio has good chances to be part of City team - otherwise, he will be loaned out to La Liga side Girona.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano?ref_ ... start%3D20

Not sure what you are waffling about, I just posted the tweet - a more interesting point is that Gomez could be part of a transfer triangle allowing City to acquire a more experienced player without being held to ransom.

Rather than quote city xtra, it would have served better clicking on Romano's name to go to the actual source which city xtra didnt quote in full...

[john@staustell]

BBC thinks this is agreed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62504088

[CTID Hants]

BBC thinks this is agreed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62504088

They also mention he could be loaned to Girona, which to me sounds like the beeb are reporting this based on Frabrizio Romano's tweet.

[john@staustell]

Seems quite a high value player for a loan like that. If this is the case it is probably sod-all to do with City at all, just a way of getting Girona a player and help another member of CFG, whilst annoying the shit out of Tebas and Farca all at the same time.

[johnny crossan]

Rather than quote city xtra, it would have served better clicking on Romano's name to go to the actual source which city xtra didnt quote in full...

If possible I prefer to post links to CityXtra rather than Fabrizio the Forum Filcher. Anyway the lad is clearly not going to be loaned out so here's a different highlights video showing what we can look forward to - seems pretty good but obviously many do without their mistakes on show

Watch on youtube.com

[johnny crossan]

[johnny crossan]

Raggy Sam has been boning up on the lad for a while now it seems

Sergio Gomez: The right-winger turned left-back joining Manchester City

Anderlecht's Sergio Gomez celebrates after scoring during a soccer match between RSC Anderlecht and RAFC Antwerp, Thursday 12 May 2022 in Antwerp, on day 4 of the Champions' play-offs of the 2021-2022 'Jupiler Pro League' first division of the Belgian championship.
By Sam Lee
Aug 12, 2022

Manchester City are signing a new left-back, but perhaps not the one that was expected. And he’s only been a left-back for a year.

Sergio Gomez, 21, is joining from Anderlecht in Belgium for an initial fee of £10.9million ($13.4m) plus £1.7million in add-ons.

City had stressed they were still in the market for a more senior option at the position, and that Gomez would not affect that search. On Friday, however, manager Pep Guardiola revealed Gomez would stay with his squad this season, competing for the left-back role alongside Joao Cancelo and 19-year-old academy graduate Josh Wilson-Esbrand.

The Spaniard is certainly an exciting prospect, and while he may not have been expected to play a role just yet, with a loan to sister club Girona having been on the cards, he could make a name for himself quite quickly.

He plays on the right wing for Spain Under-21s these days, taking people on, cutting inside and getting shots away. He was a pacy winger during his eight years coming through the ranks at Barcelona before he moved to Borussia Dortmund aged 17, then had a loan back in Spain at Huesca, where he played… well, basically everywhere.

Left wing, right wing, an “interior” playing inside and even right-back, Gomez is certainly versatile.

Former Huesca boss Pacheta spotted his potential to play as a full-back and took lessons from the more senior Javi Galan, who also moved from the wing to full-back, but it was a former City great who accelerated his conversion.

Last summer, Gomez was ready to return to Dortmund when he took a phone call.

“Vincent Kompany called several times to convince me,” Gomez told Spanish news outlet Marca in January. “He had seen several of my games and, together with the sporting director, he expressed his interest. Anderlecht is a historic club that puts faith in young players and, as well as that, the new position I was going to play was very exciting.

“The coach believes that left-back suits me best so I can continue growing. He saw that I had a lot of pace to get up and down. I have always been very committed in defence, even when I played high up.”

At the end of April, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain was pictured sitting next to Pere Guardiola, Pep’s brother and Gomez’s agent, at the Belgian cup final between Kompany-managed Anderlecht and Gent.

By that time, he had racked up 12 assists and five goals (including four penalties) and was linked with a return to Barcelona and with Manchester United.

He took Anderlecht’s set pieces and there are several elements of his game that catch the eye and explain why he has found his way to City, even if they do not immediately consider him a contender for the first-team squad this season.

Many of the following examples are from games in which he played several different positions but should highlight various facets of his game. First of all, this driving run for Spain Under-21s against their Russian counterparts in November.

He picks the ball up deep in his own half and embarks on a fast dribble towards the goal…



… when he gets inside the opposition half, he cuts inside and dances past two defenders, also cutting off a third.





Once he gets infield, he tries to thread a precise ball through the defence.


The winger checks his run slightly as the (slightly overhit) pass is played, so the goalkeeper gathers easily, but it is a striking piece of play for somebody arriving as a left-back.

This example is very similar and the eye for a pass is in evidence again. Against Northern Ireland Under-21s in October, he starts on the right and checks inside…



… he continues his run infield and spots his team-mate making the run in behind with enough space to squeeze a pass through.



The pass is inch perfect and leaves the striker clean through on goal, but his shot is saved.



Gomez played in attack alongside former City forward Ferran Torres when Spain won the 2017 Under-17 European Championship and then finished runners-up in the Under-17 World Cup five months later, with both finals against England squads that included City academy kids Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho (although the latter had returned to his then club, Dortmund, before the World Cup final).

Back then, it would have been hard to imagine him shifting to full-back, but he certainly displays some transferable skills, particularly his crossing.

Take this low ball across the box that evades everybody until it reaches the No 10 at the far post, who converts from a narrow angle.





It’s very similar to this example from his first season at Huesca, in 2019, when he played on the left wing. Receiving the ball wide, he drives at the full-back…





… and quickly cutting outside, he plays a low ball across the face of the goal to give his team-mate a simple finish.





This has been replicated as a left-back for Anderlecht and the below example also highlights his pace.

Making the overlap, he gets forward extremely quickly to support the counter-attack.





When he receives the ball, he plays one of those low crosses across the box to provide a tap-in.




“The timing when you arrive from behind is key and it is what I have improved the most,” he said in that Marca interview. “I worked a lot with Michel (now Girona manager) in Huesca because I arrived well, but I rushed or took a long time to make the pass.”

It’s not all low crosses, though. How about this lofted effort from a very wide position last season?



“When I played up front I gave a lot of importance to scoring, but now I value giving a pass more because it makes me happy, and also the team-mate who scores.” How very Kevin De Bruyne.

And here are some crossfield passes that could come in handy.





And this one from Huesca.





For somebody who’s been a left-back for little more than one season in Belgium, the defensive side of his game is, particularly, a work in progress. He is aggressive and tenacious when it comes to one-v-one defending and has been taught some tricks of the trade by former City captain Kompany.

“He’s one of the best centre-backs in City history and he’s taught me a lot of things,” Gomez says. “He’s been on top of things defensively, especially to correct things I’m not so used to, like body positioning or aerial duels”.

So, overall, a pretty exciting prospect — and we should get a glimpse of him sooner than expected.

[City64]

Peps brother is Gomez agent or owns the agency and Vinny switched him from a right winger to a LB last season so that will do for me keep it in the family and all that . Fuck off Brighton fuck off Cucarella or whatever his name is ? £52 million for him fuck off !!

[Dimples]

Peps brother is Gomez agent or owns the agency and Vinny switched him from a right winger to a LB last season so that will do for me keep it in the family and all that . Fuck off Brighton fuck off Cucarella or whatever his name is ? £52 million for him fuck off !!

When are we getting a LB? This guy is not the answer in the short term and maybe never.
If you think he is the answer, look at where he has played, the level he has played at and how long he has played as a left back.

We have no natural left back. Last season we had two square pegs for one round hole - Cancelo and Zinch.
This season we have one square peg for one round hole - Cancelo.

This will come back to bite us when we get to the business end of the season. Just like it did last season.

[City64]

Peps brother is Gomez agent or owns the agency and Vinny switched him from a right winger to a LB last season so that will do for me keep it in the family and all that . Fuck off Brighton fuck off Cucarella or whatever his name is ? £52 million for him fuck off !!

When are we getting a LB? This guy is not the answer in the short term and maybe never.
If you think he is the answer, look at where he has played, the level he has played at and how long he has played as a left back.

We have no natural left back. Last season we had two square pegs for one round hole - Cancelo and Zinch.
This season we have one square peg for one round hole - Cancelo.

This will come back to bite us when we get to the business end of the season. Just like it did last season.

There are no top quality LBs out there, apparently Cancelo is the best there is and we have him . Cucarella can fuck off at £50 odd million , Pep seems calm with the situation and Wilson- Essbrand looks decent given a run of games so there are 3 LBs .
Every other top team has a worse LB than us !
Foden Haaland and Mahrez all left footers aswell , we have a fucking plethora of left footers in all sorts of positions, LB ? who gives a fuck ? Nobody has a top LB except City with Cancelo and now 2 back ups Gomez and E/S .
Let’s crack on .

[johnny crossan]

Peps brother is Gomez agent or owns the agency and Vinny switched him from a right winger to a LB last season so that will do for me keep it in the family and all that . Fuck off Brighton fuck off Cucarella or whatever his name is ? £52 million for him fuck off !!

When are we getting a LB? This guy is not the answer in the short term and maybe never.
If you think he is the answer, look at where he has played, the level he has played at and how long he has played as a left back.

We have no natural left back. Last season we had two square pegs for one round hole - Cancelo and Zinch.
This season we have one square peg for one round hole - Cancelo.

This will come back to bite us when we get to the business end of the season. Just like it did last season.

What did you make of The Athletic analysis posted earlier? Evidence for the prosecution? It gave me a little surge of optmism about the lad tbh, esp after rewatching his highlights videos. Sergio is a Blue Boy now - he deserves to be given the benefit I think.

[Mase]

A right winger as a left back. Can’t wait!

[johnny crossan]

A right winger as a left back. Can’t wait!

https://runningtheshowblog.wordpress.co ... d-tactics/

[City64]

Peps brother is Gomez agent or owns the agency and Vinny switched him from a right winger to a LB last season so that will do for me keep it in the family and all that . Fuck off Brighton fuck off Cucarella or whatever his name is ? £52 million for him fuck off !!

When are we getting a LB? This guy is not the answer in the short term and maybe never.
If you think he is the answer, look at where he has played, the level he has played at and how long he has played as a left back.

We have no natural left back. Last season we had two square pegs for one round hole - Cancelo and Zinch.
This season we have one square peg for one round hole - Cancelo.

This will come back to bite us when we get to the business end of the season. Just like it did last season.

What did you make of The Athletic analysis posted earlier? Evidence for the prosecution? It gave me a little surge of optmism about the lad tbh, esp after rewatching his highlights videos. Sergio is a Blue Boy now - he deserves to be given the benefit I think.

He can go forward with pace and get a decent cross in , not sure about his defending though ? Give the lad a few months to adapt training and being coached at the best club in the world who knows ? £11 million could be a steal ??? Vinny only cost £8 million and look how that worked out ! Pep still mentions Wilson - Essbrand a lot so he must rate him aswell for the future. At least we have 2 strikers now ffs

[johnny crossan]

Better get used to Sergio then

[littlebig]

Hooray a left back (kind of) at last!

Don’t know anything about him but good luck to the lad.

Welcome Sergio!

[johnny crossan]

Our new number 11?
Two punters in specs so they must be clued up

Watch on youtube.com

[CTID Hants]

Sergio Gomez on joining #ManCity: “It was an honour because I was a City fan as a kid…” [via
@ManCity

That makes me feel old]