Vélez president Fabián Berlanga has revealed he tried to sell defender Valentín Gómez to Manchester United following the injury to Lisandro Martínez.
La Noticia Web cover comments from Berlanga today, made in an interview with D Sports, in which he admits he tried to set up a deal with the defender with Manchester United, who he intends to sell.
21-year-old Gómez is a product of Vélez’s youth system and has been in the first-team picture since 2002, making 110 appearances to date.
He’s yet to be linked with a move to Europe, although a report last year had Manchester City owners the City Football Group involved in a potential purchase to add him into their ever-expanding network.
That never came about, and Gómez remained in Argentina where he has established himself as one of the best and most promising young defenders in Argentine football.
He had recently been close to a move to Udinese but that ended up falling through as USA investor Foster Gillett failed to pay the defender’s release clause.
He had been found by the player and promised to pay his $8.5m release clause before taking a furth 10% of any future transfers, to which Vélez agreed. Gómez was given permission to train with Udinese, but the deal eventually fell through.
That’s led to fury and plenty of statements afterwards, and now Berlanga has had his say, revealing he tried to get Manchester United interested.
“It wasn’t a transfer; it was a termination. Once the player signs the payment commitment, he is free to do what he wants. Here it wasn’t just a promise, it was written down on paper with a notary’s signature and everything,” he said.
“We agreed, Velez needed that money. We thought it was an opportunity for him, and we facilitated everything.
“On Saturday they called me, they told me that Udinese accepted a loan with conditions, but we couldn’t sign that. There was no material way we could go ahead with the operation,’ he confirmed.
“We gave him a very good contract for what Argentine football is. I have no doubt that he was going to be in the national team’s sights. Through someone I know, I asked Manchester United to find out if they wanted him because of Licha Martínez’s injury.
“It was divided between the CEO and the coach, and they said no. Velez are interested in selling him.”
