Where would Papu Gomez fit in at Milan?

Emmet Gates

• Updated: 17 May 2021 21:26 BST
• 2 min read

Atalanta’s club captain and talisman Papu Gomez is bound to leave the club, following a bitter row with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Gomez and Gasperini reportedly fell out during La Dea’s Champions League game against FC Midtjylland in November.

Gomez, according to reports, refused to alter his position on the field, and Gasperini responded by taking the No.10 off.

He was reinstated for the crunch match against Ajax, which secured qualification to the round of 16.

Atalanta will meet Real Madrid in the knockout phase, but there’s a good chance Gomez won’t be playing in that game.

The Atalanta skipper has been linked with a move to Milan in recent days, but where would Gomez fit in with the league leaders?

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Gomez at Milan

Milan boss Stefano Pioli currently employs a 4-2-3-1 system. Zlatan Ibrahimovic occupies the central striking berth.

The three attacking players in behind the legendary Swede are usually Ante Rebic, Hakan Calhanoglu and one of Alexis Saelemakers or Samu Castillejo.

However, Calhanoglu, who has been in outstanding form throughout 2020 under Pioli, looks increasingly likely to leave Milan at the end of the season as a free agent.

It’s been reported for several weeks that both club and player cannot agree on a new contract extension, with the midfielder’s demands seemingly too expensive for Milan.

The club could deem it wise to move Calhanoglu on in January, as opposed to losing him for nothing in June, and replace him with Gomez, who would cost somewhere in the region of €10-12m.

Gomez is more flexible tactically than the Turkey international, as he can operate on the left or directly behind a central striker. This would be of immense benefit to Pioli, who could alternate his system depending on the opponent.

On a financial level, Gomez, now 32, wouldn’t demand as high a salary as Calhanoglu is reportedly commanding.

A partnership between Gomez and Ibrahimovic, if even for six months, could be mouth-watering to Milan fans, and could be the difference between finishing in the top four and winning a first league title for a decade.