FanSided MLS
·19 December 2024
FanSided MLS
·19 December 2024
Last week, on 10th December 2024, it was confirmed by both Inter Miami and Brighton & Hove Albion that 21-year-old Paraguyan talent Diego Gómez is set to join the Seagulls of the Premier League, for a fee of around the eleven million pound mark.
On Sunday, Gómez was there to witness the Segaulls 1-3 home defeat to rivals Crystal Palace, where he was unveiled to the Brighton faithful on the pitch before the game, getting his first feel of the AMEX stadium. The attacking midfielder will officially be a Seagull on New Year’s Day and will go straight into their squad for the rest of the season.
At Inter Miami, Diego Gómez usually played either on the left of the front three, or the left of the midfield, both most of the time in a 4-3-3 formation. Brighton, although play fairly similar, it’s not quite the same, as they more often than not play a 4-2-3-1, with a traditional number 10 and two deeper midfielders, but have been able to mix it up aswell, with coach Fabian Hurzeler deploying a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3 at times aswell, two formations Gómez is more familiar with.
I do believe, however, that a number 10 role in the 4-2-3-1 is where they could get the best out of him, as he is a very creative player, creating 11 big chances in just 18 starts in the MLS 2024 campaign, and that’s playing with the greatest playmaker that’s ever lived, Lionel Messi, so you’d think with more responsbility to take games by the scruff of the neck, he could be one of the key players in Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
He also isn’t a player that relies on huge amount of pace and one vs one dribbling, which is why Japanese international Karou Mitoma is a main asset for Brighton, so I don’t see him playing on the left very much. It would come with some strong competition however in that number ten role, fighting for a spot with Georgino Rutter and international team mate Julio Enciso.
The Herons now have a good bit of money to spend on some transfers, but right now no real links to any replacements for the nine time Paraguay international. The only bit of talk going around is that Neymar wants a move to Florida, with Al Hilal looking as if they will not renew his contract, you’d feel as if the Brazilian would feel excited by the thought of a return to playing alongside his two friends in Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, which i wrote a seperate article on – ‘getting the band back together?’
It would be a huge risk, with Neymar getting constant injuries these days and no doubt will want high wages, but if he can stay fit and get back to his best he could be a huge success, as he knows exactly how to play alongside them two.