For the 2017 season, Universitario decided that Argentine Pedro Troglio would be in charge of coaching the team, and among the players he had to try to win the title that year was Peruvian Alexi Gómez, who became one of his attacking weapons to achieve the national trophy.
'La Hiena', as the player is popularly known, had an outstanding individual performance that season (34 matches, 12 goals, and 9 assists) and even earned a call-up to the Peruvian National Team for friendly matches against Jamaica and Paraguay. However, it was undoubtedly Troglio who was most impressed by his speed, dribbling, and shooting ability.
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There was already talk in those years of a good relationship between Gómez and Troglio, and when the coach left Universitario's bench to join Gimnasia Esgrima La Plata in his country in 2018, he did not hesitate to demand that the team's management sign the Peruvian athlete.
And so, with the approval and recommendation of the 'Mago', Alexi Gómez arrived for the first time in 2018 to the Argentine Superliga to wear the colors of 'Lobo'. However, despite the good intentions of the left-winger and the demands of the coach, the Peruvian did not make an impact at Esgrima and his stint was very short-lived.
Alexis Gómez signing for Gimnasia Esgrima La Plata.
Troglio and the time he succumbed to Gómez's talent
In an interview for RPP in 2017, the Argentine coach spoke highly of the Peruvian player and claimed to know how to handle that type of player, as Alexi used to have behavioral problems at his previous clubs. However, under Pedro's guidance, this changed completely.
"In the last few days, I've spoken more with Alexi Gómez than with my own children. Gómez is one of those players who you have to be on top of all the time and talk to them. This must be a turning point for him. There comes a moment when the player has to understand," he declared.
"In football, there's a reality. In a team, there has to be someone who brings pause, someone who has speed, and not everyone has all the qualities. There's not only Riquelme's hierarchy to bring pauses, or Messi or Saviola's speed to start with velocity. To do the latter, you need explosiveness and technical ability. Gómez has it," the coach stated about the Peruvian player.
What is Alexi Gómez up to now?
After his successful year in 2017, 'La Hiena' has not shown that superb level again. After a brief stint abroad, he returned to Peruvian football in 2019, and currently belongs to FBC Melgar, a club that hasn't considered him on the field so far in the 2022 season.
How much is Alexi Gómez worth?
Back in 2019, when he was playing in Argentine football, the Peruvian was valued at 600,000 euros internationally, which was the highest value of his career. But today, due to his poor performance, his price has dropped to 250,000 euros.