Manchester United 's hunt for defensive reinforcements has led them to Spain Under-21 international Sergio Gomez, with the youngster fielding questions about interest from the Premier League side.
The 21-year-old, who came through Barcelona 's academy, spent time with Borussia Dortmund before signing for Vincent Kompany's Anderlecht over the season. Often deployed at left-back, he has had plenty of joy getting forward, scoring six times for the Belgian side and already reaching double figures for assists.
Interest in Gomez comes as first-choice left-back Luke Shaw has voiced his concerns about the situation at Old Trafford. The England international is still expected to be offered a new deal by United, but has been clear about the contrast between playing for United and representing the England national side.
Gomez was part of the Spain team which finished as runners-up to England at the under-17 World Cup in 2017. He scored both of his country's goals in their 5-2 final defeat, and four times in total during the tournament, as Spain fell short against an England squad including current United forward Jadon Sancho.
He has also registered six goals and five assists for Spain's under-21s in their qualifying campaign for next year's European Championships. Luis de la Fuente's team have already qualified with two games to spare, and recent squad members Hugo Guillamon and Yeremy Pino have already represented Spain's seniors as well as the age group side.
According to Anderlecht-Online (via Sport Witness ) interest in Gomez is growing thanks to his international form, with scouts from United having also watched him in action for his club. The Premier League side are thought to face competition from Inter Milan for a player whose goals and assists have kept Anderlecht in European contention.
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Despite the reported interest, though, Gomez is keeping his feet on the ground. "I’m focused on the last few months that I have left" he told Cadena Ser's El Larguero.
"I’m focusing on the national team, on the club and taking advantage of all the opportunities. I don’t know anything, really."
The pressure on United to make a decision on Gomez comes with Shaw delivering some home truths during the international break. The former Southampton defender scored for Gareth Southgate's team against Switzerland, and has been laying out the positive aspects of the international setup.
"It's always important to feel like you're wanted," he said. "Especially here, I always feel that. I'm not saying I don't at United, but here the way things are, I feel wanted and enjoy my football.
"A big part of football is enjoyment. It's hard to enjoy it when we're losing and not playing well at club level. We have to face that. This season it's not been good enough so it's hard to enjoy it. We know we've got a lot to improve at the club."
