The talent of Sergio Gómez in the Masia
At the end of 2017, Barcelona fans witnessed the departure of Sergio Gómez, one of the great promises of the Barça youth team, who decided to sign for Borussia Dortmund. The German club offered him a salary of 1 million euros, a considerable figure for a player who was only 17 years old. Barça regretted the loss of another young talent trained in its youth categories. At that time, Sergio Gómez stood out as a complete midfielder, dangerous in attack thanks to his great quality, but also intense in pressure.
The triumphant return of Sergio Gómez to Spain
However, Sergio Gómez’s time at Dortmund was not successful, so two seasons later he decided to return to Spanish football on loan at Huesca. It was at Alcoraz where Sergio Gómez shone, playing 68 games in two years and demonstrating his high level. His performance caught the attention of Belgian Anderlecht, where he further improved his performances, accumulating 49 games and 6 goals. These performances convinced Manchester City to bet on him, offering 15 million euros for his signing.
The time at Manchester City
Under the orders of Pep Guardiola, Sergio Gómez established himself as a left back, although with little presence in the team. In his first season at the Etihad Stadium, he only played 23 games, most of them as a substitute. Last season was even worse, with only 449 minutes played. Despite his limited participation, Sergio Gómez managed to win a Champions League, two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup, a Club World Cup and a European Super Cup with Manchester City.
The signing for Real Sociedad
Due to his lack of prominence at Manchester City, the club decided to put Sergio Gómez on the market, which attracted the interest of Real Sociedad. Coach Imanol Alguacil seeks to strengthen his squad and sees the Catalan player as an important piece for his team. Sergio Gómez, who already shone for Huesca, was willing to return to Spanish football and accepted the offer from Real Sociedad. The Basque club will sign the player for 8.7 million euros, in a contract that will cover the next 6 seasons. In addition, Manchester City will secure 25% of a possible future sale.
The challenge of the young players who leave Barça
The case of Sergio Gómez is just one of the many young players who decide to leave Barça in search of opportunities in other clubs. These footballers, who are considered promising at the club, are often attracted by tempting offers and projects in which they are expected to play an important role. However, not everyone manages to succeed outside of Barça. Players like Xavi Simons (PSG), Jordi Mboula (Monaco), Adrián Bernabé (Manchester City), Iker Bravo (Bayer Leverkusen) and Sergio Gómez himself are just some examples of young talents who failed to establish themselves after leaving the Catalan club.