Manchester City Agrees on Fee for Left-Back Target After Cucurella Failure

Manchester City has wasted no time finding a new left-back as they have reportedly agreed to an £11m fee for Anderlecht left-back Sergio Gomez. Furthermore, the player’s set to sign a four-year deal once he passes his medical.

No sleep lost after pulling out of a deal which Man City’s recruitment team thought absurd when Brighton was asked upwards of £50m for Marc Cucurella, who enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Premier League last season.

The league champions were only ever willing to pay £30m and no more for Cucurella, and in return, the Seagulls, as usual, played hardball and stood firm on their £50m evaluation, rejecting any bid from City lower than the required total.

"Manchester City have acted on their interest in Cucurella, offering a fee of £30m which was quickly declined.Brighton’s inclination to play hardball is understandable. The recently capped Spain international only signed in the summer of 2021 and is contracted until 2026.(Via: thetopflight.com)"

Paying Less Than £39M of Cucurella’s £50m Evaluation, Manchester City Are Now a Medical Away From Their Left-Back Signing

Before the end of the week but not in time for their next Premier League fixture against Bournemouth on Saturday, Man City will be a left-back heavier after agreeing to sign Sergio Gomez for £11m. The contract expected to be signed by the full-back is said to keep him at the Etihad until 2026.

"Manchester City are set to complete the signing of Sergio Gomez after agreeing a fee of €13m (£11m) plus add-ons with Anderlecht for the left-back.Gomez is set to undergo a medical ahead of signing a four-year contract at the Etihad.(Via: independent.co.uk)"

The 21-year-old Spaniard comes with some experience, having played in two of Europe’s top-five leagues, Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga. He also played for Anderlecht in the First Division A, in Belgium.

His career has seen him play for four different clubs, originally coming from the famous Barca youth academy, La Masia, which was one of several Spanish teams he has played for at youth level. Dortmund signed him from Barca after he was with the club for eight years and he was 17 years old.

For his two seasons at the German club, he only managed to make three senior appearances and four appearances for the Under 19s. Then came the two-season-long loan to Huesca, where he played 67 games, scored one goal, and assisted another four; between 2019-2021.

After this, Dortmund cut ties permanently with the left-back and sold him to Belgian side, Anderlecht. In his one season, he has enjoyed his best return, scoring five and assisting another 11 goals in 34 features.

In his second season, which has just started, he and Anderlecht have only played one game; a game that will probably be his last for them.

Oleksandr Zinchenko Replacement Found

City have been doing fine without the departed Zinchenko, with Joao Cancelo slotting in the left-back role, effortlessly. They lost to Liverpool in the Community Shield but then started their EPL  campaign with a 2-0 victory over West Ham United.

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola has made it clear that a new LB is a priority this summer. Benjamin Mendy is still facing legal charges while Zinchenko is gone. An injury to Cancelo and they could be without a designated first-team full-back to fill in.

This was one of their most important signings. Not sure if they will do further work in the transfer market, but with Bernardo Silva continuing to be linked with a switch to Barcelona, they could be forced to look for a like-for-like replacement before the window closes.