GOLZ@golz_tv
Jonathan Gómez, who has represented both the USMNT and Mexico, calls out Liga MX for overpricing their young talent.
He believes that’s the main reason why the U.S. has been able to send more talent to Europe lately.
Gómez went off to Spain at 18 from Louisville, signing with Real Sociedad. He believes the move would’ve been a lot more difficult if he was playing in Mexico.
“In my opinion, development, I would say it’s not that different,” the defender answered when asked why the U.S. has been better at developing talent lately compared to Mexico.
“I think even sometimes, development in Mexico is better. I remember with FC Dallas, we went a lot of times to Mexico and we would struggle against the Mexican teams.”
“So I would say in terms of development, there's not that much difference in my honest opinion, but I would say when it comes to exporting them is where the difference is.”
“In Mexico, they put really high prices and like I said unless you're going to like Atlético Madrid, or Porto, or Ajax, like the big clubs in in all the big leagues, then it's hard for a club to pay that much for I don't know, a 19, 20, 21, 22 year old player that they've only seen in Liga MX.”
“And that's not saying that there's no quality in Liga MX, there is. But if you put, I don't know, I'm going to give an example, $15 million, there's only a certain amount of clubs that can pay that.”
“And then it's like from those certain amount of clubs, how many are really going to pay that for this player?”
“MLS, I think that they are a little more not necessarily lenient, but they have learned now.”
“Because even before in MLS, which is one of the reasons why I went to USL, MLS was having the same problem.”
“And l that's why they wouldn't export either was because in MLS, they would put very high prices on the players and like I said, that's one of the reasons I ended up going to USL.”
“If I would sign in MLS, they probably would have said, ‘No, you can't go to Europe for less than, I'm making up a price here, $8 million.’ And so $8 million for like an 18, 19 year old defender who has only played in MLS and something like that, it's hard to get a club to pay that, you know?”
“But now I think MLS has broken it down a little more and they're learning ultimately the player's desires and stuff.”
“I think in Mexico they have not learned yet and they need to change it. Maybe that's where the difference is.”
After moving to Spain at 18, Gómez played for Real Sociedad B, Mirandés, and PAOK.
Now, he’s on loan at Albacete, and last month, he was involved in their famous win over Real Madrid in Copa del Rey.
Still 22, let’s see how his career in Europe pans out.
[via CharlaFootball]
