Diego Gomez has settled in well at the Amex Stadium
Brighton midfielder Diego Gomez has made an encouraging start to life in the Premier League.
The Paraguay international arrived last January for around £12m from Inter Miami and has so far made nine first team appearances – seven in the league and two in the FA Cup.
Gomez has made just two starts – including last Saturday’s entertaining 2-2 draw at Manchester City – but the 21-year-old has already shown enough to suggest he will be an excellent addition to Fabian Hurzeler’s squad.
Diego Gomez of Brighton & Hove Albion has impressed since joining from Inter MiamiDiego Gomez of Brighton & Hove Albion has impressed since joining from Inter Miami
Diego Gomez of Brighton & Hove Albion has impressed since joining from Inter Miami
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The former Miami man operates in a deeper midfield role. He is capable of breaking up play, driving forward and has also shown an impressive range of passing.
His arrival seems to compliment Albion’s existing midfield talents of Carlos Baleba, Jack Hinshelwood, Mats Wieffer, Matt O’Riley, Yasin Ayari and Ferdi Kadioglu (when fit).
Gomez, along with many other Brighton players, jetted off last week for the international break where he will represent Paraguay in their World Cup qualifiers against Chile on Thursday and then Colombia on March 26.
Gomez appears happy with his start to life at Brighton. “It’s helped me a lot with my intensity; football is more dynamic, and it’s played at a different level,” he said to local media in Paraguay, via Sport Witness.
“As everyone knows, the Premier League is the best league, and luckily everything’s going well for me.
“The truth is, I’m very happy with the performance I’m having at my club. Now I’m focusing on what it’s going to be like here with the national team.”
Brighton head coach Hurzeler recently described his new signing as “a beast” and praised his “intensity” in training.
“Six, eight, that’s his best position, where he feels the most comfortable,” Hurzeler said when asked on Gomez’s best position. “He has a big weapon in that he is very clever in defending the spaces. He is scanning a lot. He is understanding to close the gaps between the lines.
“And I think in possession he has this skill to create the dynamic from behind; so to play a pass and to attack the opponent’s box, to win a personal duel, win a second ball and then continue the game from this stage, so I think six, eight is his best position.”
Brighton are next in action against Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the Amex Stadium on March 29. Gomez could well have a key role to play.
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