Ruud van Nistelrooy’s January plans are seemingly underway and there is one position in particular that on the Foxes’ radar.
Having recently suffered heavy defeats to the likes of Newcastle United and Brentford, Leicester’s defence hasn’t exactly been solid this season, to say the least.
Wout Faes’ struggles have seen van Nistelrooy turn to the likes of Jannik Vestergaard and Conor Coady in recent weeks.
The Dutchman however is seemingly looking for more viable alternatives in defence, with Leicester reportedly eyeing a move for Valentin Gomez.
With the Velez Sarsfield defender relatively unknown outside of South America, Leicester City News thought it would be worthwhile taking a closer look at the Foxes target.
Valentin Gomez of Velez Sarsfield drives the ball against Maximiliano Meza of River Plate during a Liga Profesional 2024 match between River Plate ...
Photo by Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images
Valentin Gomez age/birthplace
Diego Valentin Gomez is currently 21 years old at the time of writing. He was born on 26 June 2003.
Gomez is Argentine having been born in San Miguel, Buenos Aires.
Valentin Gomez height
Valentin Gomez stands at approximately 5ft 9 inches tall (1.81m), which makes him relatively small as a defender. His strength and aggression however make up for his lack of height.
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Valentin Gomez position
Valentine Gomez primarily plays as a centre-back but he is also adept at playing at left-back due to him being left-footed.
Boca Juniors' Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani (R) and Velez Sarsfield's defender Valentin Gomez fight for the ball during the Argentine Profession...
Photo by ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP via Getty Images
Valentin Gomez playing style
Super aggressive and great on the ball – Valentin Gomez profiles very similar to other famous Argentine defenders like Nicolas Otamendi and Lisandro Martinez.
Despite not being the tallest, the 21-year-old is very strong in duels regularly coming out on top in 1v1 battles. He also possesses good pace which is key in Velez Sarsfield’s high-line system.
In terms of on the ball, Gomez is very progressive – regularly splitting the lines with his incisive passing. His stronger left foot also makes him a very attractive proposition for any ball-dominant side.
Valentin Gomez stats
Club Apps Goals Assists
Velez Sarsfield (2022-current) 110 3 1
Country Debut Apps Goals
Argentina U20 Mar 26, 2022 10 –
Valentin Gomez career
Having grown up in Buenos Aires, Gomez would climb through the ranks of local club Velez Sarsfield and go on to make his senior debut in 2022.
Since his debut, Gomez has go on to become a key member of the Sarsfield team making over 100 appearances so far.
The youngster has been leading the Sarsfield defence for a couple of seasons now and his talents were recently recognised by ESPN Argentina who voted him as the best defender of the year, in their 2024 awards.
Gomez has also featured on several occasions for the Argentina U20 side and it would be no surprise to see him receive his first senior call-up pretty soon.