Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed the imminent arrival of left-back Sergio Gomez, who will remain with the first-team squad this season.
The Citizens reached an agreement with Belgian outfit Anderlecht on Wednesday to sign the 21-year-old for a fee believed to be in excess of €10m (£8.5m).
Confirmation of Gomez's arrival at the Etihad Stadium is imminent, with the player allegedly on his way to Manchester for his medical and to sign his contract this weekend.
It was initially thought that the Spain Under-21 international would be sent out on loan for the 2022-23 campaign, with City's sister club Girona believed to have been a possible destination.
However, Guardiola has confirmed that Gomez will join up with the first-team squad and provide competition for Joao Cancelo.
© Reuters
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League home clash against Bournemouth, Guardiola's said: "You know the club is always working on many possibilities in many positions.
"This one target is a young player, in the Under-17 World Cup years ago the best player was [Phil] Foden and [Gomez] was the second best player.
"He played in Spain Under-21s, young talent for Barcelona, went to Dortmund, played in good hands under [Vincent] Kompany (at Anderlecht). He played well, we target him to bring him here.
"He's for now, he will stay with us, the squad, alongside Joao [Cancelo], Josh [Wilson-Esbrand] and him for the left-backs, he'll stay with us."
Gomez excelled as a swashbuckling left-back in his one and only season with Anderlecht after joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
The Spaniard contributed with seven goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances for the Belgian side across all competitions and was named the club's Player of the Year.
© Reuters
Gomez is now set to compete for the left-back position with Cancelo, a player who the Spaniard spoke highly about last month.
Speaking to Mauveside, Gomez said: "Joao Cancelo is someone I look up to, I see similar characteristics of myself in him".
City are believed to be in the market for another left-back irrespective of their deal for Gomez, with the likes of Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro, Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi and Arsenal's Kieran Tierney on their list of targets.
Gomez will soon become City's fourth signing of the summer window following the arrivals of Erling Braut Haaland, Stefan Ortega and Kalvin Phillips.
Guardiola has confirmed that the latter will miss Saturday's game against Bournemouth due to injury while academy graduate Cole Palmer is doubtful.
