Burnley: Gomez can be Kompany’s own Robertson
Sergio Gomez has not truly had a chance to showcase his talents in the Premier League, but that could change next season.
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has made good use of his links to Manchester City over the past year, having brought in Arijanet Muric, CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to help with last season’s successful promotion-winning campaign.
With Harwood-Bellis returning to the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets may well opt to use their City connection to bolster another position in the back line.
Transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri claims Burnley have reached out to City regarding a loan move for Sergio Gomez, but the Spanish left-back is stalling over a decision as he wants to try to win over boss Pep Guardiola first.
It is a loan move that makes sense for all three parties, though, with the 22-year-old likely to play regular Premier League football, while Burnley get a talented defender to help boost their survival hopes.
Is Sergio Gomez a good option for Burnley?
City signed Gomez for £11m from Anderlecht, where he spent time playing under Kompany, but he was restricted to only ten starts in all competitions in 2022-23 – just two of those in the Premier League.
Gomez showed he is capable of playing in a number of positions, as most players can under Guardiola, which is something the Spain U21 international prides himself on.
“I consider myself versatile. I’m available for whatever the coach asks,” he told Spanish radio station Partidazo de COPE. “At City, they ask me to play full-back and with [Spain U21 boss] Luis de la Fuente, I’d always played right wing, and he likes me to play there.”
It is at left-back Gomez is most comfortable – he started six games there last season, as per WhoScored – and from his limited time on the field, there are strong comparisons to be made with one of the finest around in that position.
Indeed, FBref’s comparison model lists Liverpool’s Andy Robertson as the player most like Gomez in terms of their statistical profiles. For example, Gomez averaged 0.25 assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.28 for Robertson, with neither player scoring themselves.
The pair attempted 81.3 and 78.9 passes per 90 minutes respectively, averaged 91.8 and 86.5 touches, while they won the same amount of aerial duels per 90 (0.77).
Gomez has a long way to go to show he can be a match for Robertson, and a move to Burnley under Kompany is his first real step towards doing that.
With a relatively low salary of £50k-a-week, according to Capology, Gomez could also prove to be an upgrade on current left-back Ian Maatsen.
But as someone described as “a full-back, playmaker, king of assists and winger” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kompany would not just be strengthening one position, but two or three with one deal.
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What we know about Borussia Dortmund defender Soumaila Coulibaly amid talk of Burnley loan deal
According to French publication L’Equipe, Vincent Kompany’s men are interested in sealing a loan deal for the central defender.
The Clarets are already handily placed in that position with Hjalmar Ekdal, Ameen Al-Dakhil and Jordan Beyer, but they are one man down following Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ return to Manchester City.
Despite his tender years, the 19-year-old is highly rated by his Bundesliga club, having already made two substitute appearances for their first-team.
Coulibaly came off the bench to face Copenhagen in the Champions League in November before getting 45 minutes under his belt against Stuttgart in April, replacing experienced defender Mats Hummels.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star, who still has another three years left on his contract, has also made 25 appearances for Dortmund’s second team.
If Coulibaly does arrive on loan, it’s mooted there could be an option to make the move permanent next year – which is thought to be the current crux of ongoing talks.
If Coulibaly does arrive on loan, it’s mooted there could be an option to make the move permanent next year – which is thought to be the current crux of ongoing talks.
The Frenchman joined Dortmund on a free transfer from PSG in 2021 after coming to the realisation his pathway to first-team football was far clearer in Germany.
“I felt like I would be accompanied for the long haul, that I was going to be looked after,” he told Le Parisien after completing his move.
“Above all, Dortmund is a team that places its confidence in youngsters, that is not necessarily the case with PSG.”
He added: “Paris is my home, so it was a dream ever since I was a little boy to sign my first professional contract with PSG and to play one day at the Parc des Princes.
“But no, I did not hesitate, you also need to know what is best for you. On the contrary, I jumped into this.”
A French Under-17 international, Coulibaly stands at 6ft 3ins and is left footed, so can also fill in at left-back.
He’s described as a “composed” and “relaxed” player that always looks to be in control defensively. He also has the speed to cover space.
However, it’s claimed Coulibaly can often be a little clumsy in possession and needs to become more reliable and accurate with the ball at his feet.
