Brighton & Hove Albion have announced the signing of midfielder Diego Gomez from Inter Miami.
The Athletic reported in September that Brighton were to sign Gomez for a fee of £11million ($14m), with the 21-year-old to remain with Miami through to the end of the 2024 MLS season. Miami say Brighton have paid a club-record fee that “ranks among the most expensive outbound transfers in MLS history.”
Miami’s 2024 campaign ended in playoff defeat by Atlanta United last month and Gomez will officially join Brighton on January 1, when the transfer window opens.
“We’re looking forward to working with Diego very soon,” Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said. “He has already made a real impression both at club and international level.
“Like all young players who come to us from abroad, he will need a period of adjustment to the Premier League, but I feel he can make a big contribution and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Gomez played 28 times for Miami in 2024, missing some time due to an ankle injury. He registered six goals and seven assists and, in October, was named No 1 in MLS’ 22 Under-22 series. He joined Miami in 2023 from Paraguayan top-flight team Club Libertad on a contract until 2026, with an option for a further year.
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Gomez is a senior Paraguay international and also represented his country’s Under-23 side at the Olympic Games in Paris over the summer as they lost to Egypt in the quarter-finals.
Brighton technical director David Weir added: “We’re pleased to welcome Diego to the club, and we believe he will be a very good addition to our squad.
“He’s a dynamic midfielder player who can contribute goals and assists and we believe his physical profile will be important as he adjusts to the challenge of the Premier League.
“He has only recently finished the MLS campaign so we’re confident he will be ready to compete for a place in the squad when he joins us next month.”
Brighton are seventh in the Premier League and host rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday in their next fixture. Gomez’s first opportunity to represent his new side will come on January 4 when Brighton host Arsenal in the Premier League, followed by an FA Cup third-round trip to Norwich City a week later.
“The growth Diego has shown as a player since joining Inter Miami has been exponential,” Miami’s president of football operations Raul Sanllehi said. “His contributions to the team both in midfield and in attack have been key for us through a historic period.
“The club believed in his ability and potential from the beginning of the process, and everyone at the Club is delighted to have aided in his development. We are excited to see Diego continue to represent us as he makes the jump to one of the world’s best leagues in the English Premier League.”
‘Gomez part of Brighton’s midfield rebuild’
The signing of Gomez continues a major rebuild of Brighton’s midfield since the sales during the summer 2023 transfer window of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea and Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool.
That was followed in this summer’s transfer window by the departures of Billy Gilmour to Napoli and Pascal Gross returning to Germany to join boyhood club Borussia Dortmund.
A near-£200 million spend on nine new arrivals included midfielders Matt O’Riley from Celtic (£25 million) and Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord (£25 million).
Gomez will also face competition for a spot from three exciting young prospects in Cameroon international Carlos Baleba, Sweden international Yasin Ayari and England Under-21’s Jack Hinshelwood.
(Chris Arjoon/Getty Images)
