Barcelona eye a late move for Manchester City’s unwanted left-back Sergio Gomez as a replacement for Alejandro Balde.
According to Fichajes, Barcelona are gearing up to make a late signing to replace the injured Alejandro Balde. They have set sights on Manchester City’s Sergio Gomez, as Pep Guardiola could spare the 23-year-old and let the Catalans have him for his fair valuation.
Barcelona eyeing a new left-back?
Barcelona, like many other top clubs have suffered their share of critical injuries, with Alejandro Balde the latest to fall prey to that curse. Having already lost Gavi to a season-ending knee problem, the Catalans may have lost the electric left back for the remainder of the campaign as well.
Balde will undergo surgery to repair a problem with his femoral biceps on his right leg, which could potentially see him miss the remainder of the season. With a few days left in the January window, the Catalans are eager to figure out a late move for a replacement player, with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, Real Betis’ Juan Miranda and more interestingly, Manchester City’s Sergio Gomez.
The rest of the options are beyond Barcelona’s financial means, as it may appear, but they could line up a last-gasp raid on Gomez. The 23-year-old also has Chelsea’s interest in potentially replacing Cucurella, who remains injured until March. However, the Spaniard is not used by Pep Guardiola much, as the manager could be open about his departure.
Gomez has still managed nine appearances this season and does not represent the €15 million paid by Manchester City 18 months ago. Guardiola already has Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake in his side, who can play left back, as the Spaniard barely even offers anything that suits the Catalan manager’s system.
Can Barcelona afford Sergio Gomez?
The report explains how Barcelona can afford to make new signings despite their dire financial state as things stand. The club could take advantage of Article 77 of La Liga rules. The story explains that the Catalans can spend roughly €5.4 million on a new signing in this window, and they might hence seek a last-gasp move for the 23-year-old Manchester City left-back.
However, there are questions about the time left in the window for this chase and whether Manchester City will agree to a move under that price range. Considering the Premier League side spent north of €15 million on Gomez, they would want to sell him at least for his current market price, which, as per Transfermarkt, stands at €10 million.
Hence, there are many challenges ahead for Barcelona, as in the current climate, only Gomez seems like a viable target for them. Manchester City are unlikely to sell him well below his market price, which could see the Catalans pivot to a potential loan deal for the 23-year-old.
