Brighton’s interest in Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez has officially gone from a tenuous transfer rumor to a full-on potential signing.
The 21-year-old midfielder revealed this week that he, his agent, and Miami are in discussions about a move to Brighton this summer.
“My agent is speaking to Inter Miami and Brighton & Hove Albion,” Gomez said to Spanish broadcaster Deporte Total USA after Inter Miami’s 3-1 win against Toronto, “I came here to make the jump to Europe. I hope it happens and whatever God wants.”
Gomez has been one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS since joining Messi’s team last summer. At just 21 years old, the Paraguayan has shown that he can be an effective destroyer and disrupt play. He’s also shown a knack for goal, with 9 goals in under 1,000 minutes in MLS since last season.
What makes Gomez such a good goal scorer is his well-timed runs. He scored a great goal against Toronto on Thursday because he ran in behind when no-one was expecting it. This kind of positional instinct could make Gomez a very dangerous player in Fabian Hürzeler’s attacking 3-4-3 formation.
As much as Gomez and Brighton are keen on a move though, it seems the clubs are still far apart. Inter Miami have him under contract until December 2026 and have no urgency to sell him with the MLS Cup Playoffs coming soon this fall.
The Herons bought Gomez for just under $3 million from Club Libertad last summer. They now reportedly want more than $20 million for Gomez. Some reports say Inter Miami could hold out for more, but that seems very unlikely.
If Inter Miami get $20 million for Gomez, he would become the second-most expensive player ever sold from MLS. If add-ons or a sell-on percentage are included, he could easily end up as the most expensive outgoing transfer in MLS history.
If Brighton bid $20 million for Gomez, Inter Miami almost has no other choice but to cash in.
