Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed to sign Paraguay international Diego Gomez from MLS club Inter Miami.
The 21-year-old midfielder will officially join the Seagulls when the transfer window opens on January 1, 2025, subject to the usual regulatory processes.
It was reported in the summer that Brighton had a deal in place for Gomez to move to the Premier League club, and Sky Sports News claim that the final details on the transfer have since been agreed between the player and his agent after they flew into the UK.
Brighton have announced that Gomez has agreed to join the club on undisclosed terms, but it is understood that the Seagulls will pay Inter Miami around £11m for the midfielder.
Hurzeler: 'Gomez can make a big contribution at Brighton'
Soon to be a Seagull! 🤩🇵🇾 pic.twitter.com/wfgSp7wcKv
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 10, 2024
"We're looking forward to working with Diego very soon. He has already made a real impression both at club and international level," Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler told the club's official website.
"Like all young players who come to us from abroad he will need a period of adjustment to the Premier League, but I feel he can make a big contribution and I'm looking forward to working with him."
Technical director David Weir added: "We're pleased to welcome Diego to the club, and we believe he will be a very good addition to our squad.
"He's a dynamic midfielder player who can contribute goals and assists and we believe his physical profile will be important as he adjusts to the challenge of the Premier League.
"He has only recently finished the MLS campaign so we're confident he will be ready to compete for a place in the squad when he joins us next month."
Inter Miami's Diego Gomez celebrates with teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on February 21, 2024© IconSport
Who is Diego Gomez? When can he make his Brighton debut?
Born in San Juan Bautista, Paraguay, Gomez began his professional career in his homeland with Libertad for whom he made 52 senior appearances, scoring six goals.
Gomez won the 2022 and 2023 Apertura Paraguayan Primera Division titles and also gained valuable experience in the Copa Libertadores, before joining Inter Miami in July 2023.
In his first season with Inter Miami, Gomez scored once in five games, but he has since become a first-team regular this year, contributing with six goals and seven assists in 28 appearances to help a side boasting Lionel Messi among their ranks reach the MLS playoffs and qualify for next summer's Club World Cup.
Gomez, a versatile midfielder who can operate centrally or out on the left, has been capped nine times by Paraguay, while he also represented his national team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with Paraguay reaching the quarter-finals.
Brighton's new signing will link up with his new teammates in the New Year, but it remains to be seen whether he could make his debut for the club in their first fixture of 2025 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League on January 4.
The Seagulls are then scheduled to face Norwich City in the FA Cup third round on January 11, before finishing the month with Premier League encounter against Ipswich Town, Manchester United and Everton.
Brighton currently sit seventh in the Premier League table, three points behind the top four and seven points behind Chelsea in second place.
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