Most players who leave Manchester City at 23 are written off as people who couldn't cut it. Sergio Gomez left with a Champions League medal, two Premier League titles and an Olympic gold on the way out the door. Two years on, he looks less like a City reject and more like a player who read his own situation correctly. He turned 26 on September 4, and at Real Sociedad he is finally doing what he barely got to do in Manchester: play every week.
The Gomez File
| Full name | Sergio Gomez Martin |
|---|---|
| Born | September 4, 2000, Badalona, Spain |
| Age | 26 |
| Height and weight | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in), 71 kg (157 lbs) |
| Positions | Left back, left wing back, attacking midfielder |
| Foot | Left |
| Club | Real Sociedad, shirt number 17 |
| Contract | Until June 30, 2030 |
| Salary (estimate) | About 44,000 euros a week, roughly 2.3 million euros a year |
| Net worth (Icon Polls estimate) | $12 million to $15 million |
| Spain caps | 2 senior; 48 youth caps with 18 goals |
| FC 26 rating | 78 overall, 81 potential |
Badalona, La Masia and a Detour Through Germany
Gomez grew up in Badalona, the coastal city just north of Barcelona, and started out at local side Trajana before passing through Badalona and Espanyol's youth setup. Barcelona brought him into La Masia in 2010, aged 10, and he stayed eight years. He reached Barcelona B but never played for the first team.
In 2018 he took the route plenty of frustrated Barça youngsters have taken since: a move abroad. Borussia Dortmund paid around 3 million euros. He spent most of his Dortmund years on loan at SD Huesca from 2019 to 2021, and that is where the attacking full back version of Gomez really began to take shape.
Belgium Changed Everything
Anderlecht signed him for 3.5 million euros in 2021, and it was the best decision of his early career. He made 49 appearances in a single season and won the club's Player of the Season award. Belgian football gave him the one thing a developing player needs most: responsibility. Twelve months later, Pep Guardiola came calling.
Six Trophies, Thirty-Eight Games
City paid about 15 million euros in August 2022 on a four year deal. On paper the next two seasons were extraordinary. Gomez was part of the squad that won the Premier League in 2022/23 and 2023/24, the FA Cup and Champions League in 2022/23, then the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2023/24.
The catch was the appearance count: 38 games across two seasons. He was a squad player in the best squad in Europe, and there were open questions about whether he was defensively reliable enough to start. Summer 2024 brought a very different medal. Gomez won Olympic gold with Spain's Under 23 side in Paris.
Why San Sebastián Made Sense
In July 2024 Real Sociedad paid somewhere between 8.7 million and 10 million euros and handed him a contract to 2030. City kept a 30% sell on clause, which tells you they still saw upside in him.
The move has paid off for both sides. He gets minutes, Real Sociedad get a technically gifted left sider for a modest fee, and in October 2024 he made his senior Spain debut in a Nations League match against Denmark, coming on for Lamine Yamal. He now has two senior caps. That's a small number, but it's a door that was firmly shut while he sat on City's bench.
Reading the 2025/26 Numbers
Last season's La Liga line: 2,705 minutes, 6 assists, no goals, 5 yellow cards, 1 red and an average rating of 7.04. The goal column looks odd for a player famous for his free kicks, but the minutes are the headline. Among La Liga left backs he ranked well for assists, appearances and playing time, which is exactly the consistency City never let him show.
He also added a Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad in 2025/26, so the trophy habit survived the move. Our view is simple: he's been one of the most underrated signings in La Liga over the past two seasons.
Not Really a Left Back
Call him a left back if the team sheet demands it, but Gomez plays more like an inverted wing back. He pushes high, drifts inside to join the build up and turns up in the final third as often as some wingers do. His left foot is the weapon, both from open play and dead balls.
La Masia and Guardiola are all over his game. He is calm in tight spaces, threads passes through lines and positions himself intelligently. He isn't quick by modern full back standards and he isn't physical, so he defends with his head. Two seasons in La Liga have answered most of the doubts raised in Manchester, though he will never be a pure stopper.
The Money, Estimated
No official salary figures are published, but his Real Sociedad wage is reported at around 44,000 euros a week, or about 2.3 million euros a year. That's solid money for the club, and clearly less than City's top earners.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $12 million to $15 million, built on wages from Dortmund, Anderlecht, City and Real Sociedad plus the trophy bonuses that come with winning a treble. Treat that as an informed estimate, not a verified number.
His market value is harder to pin down. Published estimates run from 8 million to 15 million euros. We think 12 million to 15 million euros is realistic given his age and long contract, but that 30% sell on clause owed to City makes any sale less attractive for Real Sociedad.
His FC 26 Card
In EA Sports FC 26, Gomez is rated 78 overall with 81 potential, listed at left back with left midfield as a secondary role. Tellingly, the game rates him highest at CAM, where he hits 79. He has 4 star skill moves, a 3 star weak foot and explosive acceleration, with an in game value of 18 million euros, a 32,000 euro wage and a 39.2 million euro release clause. For Ultimate Team, he's a budget left back who gives far more going forward than most defenders at his rating, thanks to his passing and dribbling.
Gomez won't make anyone's list of all time greats yet, but if you have opinions on who belongs there, vote in our poll of the best football players of all time.
Quick Answers
Is Sergio Gomez married?
There's no publicly confirmed partner. He keeps his private life private and doesn't discuss relationships on social media or in interviews.
Did he ever play for Barcelona's first team?
No. He spent 2010 to 2018 at La Masia and played for Barcelona B, then joined Borussia Dortmund without a senior Barça appearance.
Has he won the Champions League?
Yes, with Manchester City in 2022/23, as part of the treble season.
