A dynamic, aggressive box-to-box midfielder with excellent vision. Gomez plays as an 8 in a 4-3-3 system. Libertad footballing style varies on the opposition, where sometimes they sit in a mid/low block or they’ll look to dominate possession with both 8’s taking advanced roles in the half-spaces.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Paraguay
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 27/03/2003
- Club: Club Libertad
- Position: Centre Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
Diego Gomez stands at approximately 1,85 cm and has a mesomorph body build. Gomez’s acceleration is good, and he’s quick with and without the ball – over short distances, his speed is average while at longer distances is where you’ll see him break into a quick stride. The 20-year-old is strong and uses his upper body well when duelling with the opposition, most notably while dribbling at speed he’s comfortable negating the pressure of the opposition. Gomez’s agility was expected to be weaker due to his height and body build where at times he would be second best in situations where he’s slower to change direction. Gomez is a very balanced & coordinated player. Despite standing at 1,85 cm Gomez’s heading ability was weak at times where he would lack in the physical battle in order to win the header & occasionally misread the ball flight.
Gomez is a top technician with a fantastic vision. While receiving Gomez looks to maruade forward into half spaces where he can further impact the phase & play slip balls through the lines. The 20-year-old ball control is good, he’s comfortable in tight situations where he has the ability to retain the ball under high pressure and 9/10 he finds a solution to the press. Gomez is fairly one-footed and is reluctant to use his left, will prefer to pass with the outside of his foot than his left foot. His vision is unbelievable, he’s got the ability to see forward runs & space promptly combined with his ability to play the perfectly waited pass. The young Paraguayan is a threat to the opposition all over the pitch & mustn’t be given the time to play a pass – he will hurt the opposition. A strong powerful dribbler who has the ability to drive his team forward in the transition, and has the upper body strength to make it extremely difficult to be pushed off the ball. Gomez’s shooting technique is really good, he’s got the ability to take on an array of different types of shots – Volleys, sidefoots and outside of the box.
Gomez off the ball movement is smart where in the initial attacking phases he looks to take advanced central positions in the half spaces, and as the play progresses he makes well-timed late runs into the box seeking a cutback or a loose ball.
Gomez has a good understanding of his responsibilities in the mid/low block system and holds good defensive positioning in restricting passes centrally, due to his defensive positioning he intercepts and breaks up attacks well. Gomez is efficient when man-marking, reads the situations well and prevents opportunities for his opposite number, additionally, he’s strong in the tackle and limits options for the opposition. What really stands out is his energy in the press, he shows good aggression and willingness to A. close down the opposition and B. force them into uncomfortable situations.
Gomez’s Mental profile is good. He works very well within the team in both the attacking and defensive phases. He’s very aggressive in the tackle and when he’s pressing – not in the sense of hurting the opposition but a desire to win the ball back. He’s fairly composed, and combined with his decision making he can fall victim to a lapse of judgement in certain situations of the game. Gomez’s work rate is good, however, his work rate level does drop off in the later stages of the game as his stamina levels drop.
To summarise, Gomez is a very exciting box-to-box midfielder with great potential. His vision and passing is really exciting – He’s got the ability to open up most defences in world football. It’s important not to overshadow his defensive ability, he’s very productive in intercepting and tackling the opposition and winning the ball back for his team. At 20 years old, its surprising to see a midfielder so mature in the way he plays, he’s very important already for Club Libertad. While predominantly playing as an 8, I have no doubt he could play further forward as a 10. I think Gomez would be a great option for Leicester City, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brighton moved for Gomez as a Mac Allister replacement – while this move may be slightly premature, Brighton has shown patience with their young South-American talent, like Enciso.