Who is Miguel Gutiérrez? Man Utd and Arsenal target with Real Madrid clause

Miguel Gutierrez is attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe after his superb development at Girona. The Catalonia side have been the surprise package in Spanish football this season and they sit second in La Liga behind leaders Real Madrid on goal difference. 

Guiterrez has been an integral part of Girona’s success and his impressive performances have captured the attention of three English Premier League giants. Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly monitoring the Spanish defender ahead of a potential January move. It’s understood that Girona are reluctant to sell this month given their performance in La Liga and the lure of Champions League qualification but their desires could be irrelevant as Guiterrez has transfer clauses in his contract.

Who is Miguel Gutierrez? Man Utd and Arsenal target examined 

Gutierrez is a 22 year old left-back and he’s already on the radar of Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, who awarded the Girona starlet his under-21 debut. Gutierrez progressed through the youth ranks at Real Madrid before making his professional debut against Cadiz in 2021. Gutierrez made nine appearances for the Spanish giants before joining Girona in August 2022 in search of regular first-team football. 

Transfermarkt’s Spanish football expert Iván Fuente explained: “He left Real Madrid because the club bought David Alaba plus Fran García and he wants to play in LaLiga - Ferland Mendy and Nacho can also play in his position. At that point, Carlo Ancelotti didn't give a lot of chances to young players and Gutierrez wanted more minutes to gain experience with Girona providing him this opportunity. He plays better in a 5-3-2 (or 3-5-2) than in a 4-4-2, but he can adapt to different formations. His idol is Marcelo and he possesses a really good left foot.”

Real Madrid hold crucial buy-back and sell-on clauses 

Real Madrid inserted future clauses in Guiterrez’s contract when they sold their academy graduate to Girona for €4.00m. “Girona paid €4m for 50% of his rights in 2022 and he has a release clause in his contract for around €35m. Real Madrid have an exclusive option to re-sign him for €9m in 2024 and €9m in 2025. Also, if Real Madrid pays the same amount for him as any club, he will go back to Madrid. Personally, I don’t think he will move back to Madrid depending on if they sign Alphonso Davies. If Real Madrid look to buy Davies from Bayern Munich then Guiterrez won’t want to return as he wants to play regularly.”

How much is Gutierrez worth? 

Gutierrez is currently valued at €20m after his valuation soared in 2023. He was valued at just €6m when he joined Girona from Madrid in the summer of 2022 and that increased to €10m by the end of his first season in Catalonia. Guiterrez, however, has doubled in value across the first half of the 2022/23 campaign after his eye-catching performances and interested clubs will need to fork out in excess of €20m to sign him this month. 

Italian and German interest: Borussia Dortmund bid rejected 

While Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City are currently monitoring Gutierrez, the Spaniard also received interest during the summer window. AC Milan were tracking the left-back while Borussia Dortmund had a €10.5m bid rejected, according to the Sun.