As one of the most interesting clubs in the world, Atalanta have made a regular habit of turning journeymen into stars. When Alejandro Gomez arrived, he had played for Catania to a certain standard but never really stood out too much in the Italian top-flight. However, in over 250 games for the Bergamo-based outfit, he became one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. Now, he leaves after a crushing fallout with Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini. With the relationship seen as irreparable, the Argentine has made the decision to move to the hottest city in Europe with Sevilla.
The Spanish giants are another one of the most intriguing teams on the continent. They have long become a trading hub for young talent, often turning young and raw footballers into the finished article worth tens of millions of Euros. Gomez, though, bucks the trend: a 32-year-old who is heading towards the end of his peak. The hope from Sevilla, though, is that ‘Papu’ Gomez can offer them the craft needed to turn their team into a genuine contender in the coming years.
With more than a few years left at the top, late bloomer Gomez brings an array of skill and talent. Having played in just ten Serie A games this year, Gomez still has four goals and two assists. He’s also one of the best passers and shooters in Italy, so brings a range of unique skills to a Sevilla side that looks set to only get better.
Where does Papu Gomez fit in Seville?
The player is seen as the ideal combination partner for the Sevilla team that includes the likes of Suso, Luuk de Jong, and Joan Jordan as well as high-energy talent like compatriots Marcos Acuna and Lucas Ocampos. In prolific Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri, too, Sevilla have one of the most exciting attacks in the league.
Adding a veteran creator behind all of that talent, then, can only be a good thing. The veteran experience of the likes of Tomas Vaclik, Ivan Rakitic, Jesus Navas and Sergio Escudero gives Sevilla the perfect blend of talent and experience. For a club that has become well-respected for making smart decisions and bringing in talent that others might ignore, Sevilla can point to a well-balanced team that now has the capability to really challenge for European and domestic titles once again.
While Gomez has never won a major title, he has the experience and the big-game nous to add even more quality to Sevilla. When paired up with other exciting talents that make up the Sevilla side, there is no reason why good times need to stop for the Andalusian giants. They have just signed one of the most in-form creative players in the world; if there ever was a reason to feel good about the future, this is it.
Sevilla are a club with a reputation of buying today to sell tomorrow; in Gomez, they have a key player who is veery much for the present.
