Using Data to Find a Replacement for Miguel Gutiérrez
Since Girona paid €4 million to Real Madrid for the academy product Miguel Gutiérrez, the young player has had excellent performances in his stay at the Catalan club sparking the interest of several top clubs, including Real Madrid who have a cheap buy-out clause.
Due to it being improbable that Girona will have Champions League football next season, and may even miss out on European qualification as well, it all seems like this will be Gutiérrez’s last season at the club. In this article, we will be looking at potential replacements for Miguel Gutiérrez at Girona.
With the use of Scouting Stats AI and the McLachApp, both websites formed by football data enthusiasts on Twitter by the names of @ChicagoDmitry and @DEvansData on X, I have been able to find 3 potential replacements that could replace Miguel Gutiérrez at Girona.
Due to Girona not being a financial monster despite being part of the City Group, we will be looking at players with a market value of 10 million or less, or perhaps higher value markets but in pursuit of a loan or a cut price due to contract expiry.
Name: Junior Firpo
Position: Left Back
Country: Dominican Republic
Age: 28
Height: 184cm
Preferred Foot: Left
Current Club: Leeds
Context: Junior began his career in Betis where after just one season and a half in the first team he was sold for €20 million to Barcelona. However, in Barcelona, he had very limited game time and was forced to move to Leeds who spent €15 million for his services where he has played for the last 4 years, 2 in the Premier League and 2 in the Championship.
Comparison of stats between Junior Firpo and Miguel Gutiérrez. (Mclachapp, 2025).
In this chart, we can see that Firpo’s numbers defensively are far better than those of Miguel Gutiérrez, however, when it comes to dribbling and crossing, Miguel Gutiérrez is the better player. Nonetheless, they both rank highly for key passes and scoring contributions as well as progressive carry distance and shots created for others.
This shows that Firpo does have many similarities with Miguel Gutiérrez offensively and could be a great replacement for him knowing that he also knows the Spanish league and his best performances have come at Betis.
Comparison of stats between Junior Firpo and Miguel Gutiérrez. (FotMob, 2025).
This table shows us each player’s offensive output and it is safe to say that Firpo shares Gutiérrez’s offensive output with high values in xG and xA. In fact, Firpo’s numbers surpass those of Gutiérrez, though it is true that he plays in a worse league.
Heat maps of Junior Firpo and Miguel Gutiérrez (Sofascore, 2025).
In these heatmaps, we can see that both players occupy similar positions up the field though Gutiérrez shows a tendency to invert more often while Firpo can often be seen inside the box, evidencing his high xG values shown beforehand. Nonetheless, Firpo does also show that he positions himself in more inside positions on the left too, meaning that he could also play Gutiérrez’s function to some extent though it is clear his tendencies differ to those of the Girona player.
Overall, although Firpo cannot perhaps function in the same way Gutiérrez can, he does show offensive prowess ranking highly and with similar numbers to those of the Girona full-back in xG and xA as well as other similar attributes. In addition, defensively Firpo is more active than Gutiérrez which could help Girona concede fewer goals as it is an issue they are facing this season. Moreover, Firpo knows the league well so he wouldn’t have any issues adapting, and his contract ends in the summer meaning that Girona could get him on a free transfer.
Name: Josh Tymon
Position: Left Back
Country: England
Age: 25
Height: 180cm
Preferred Foot: Left
Current Club: Swansea
Context: Tymon was brought up through the ranks of Hull City, however, he lasted just one season in the first club before joining Stoke City on a free transfer. His time at Stoke did not begin very well, going on loan to MK Dons after just 6 months and 2 years later, he would move on another loan to Famalicao, though for the next 3 seasons and a half, he remained in the first team. In the summer of 2023, Swansea paid €2.2 million for the Englishman and has been playing there since.
Comparison of stats between Josh Tymon and Miguel Gutiérrez. (Mclachapp, 2025).
In this chart, we can see Josh Tymon’s stats in the Championship this season compared to those of Miguel Gutiérrez at Girona this campaign. We can observe that both players are quite similar in many aspects such as scoring contributions or key passes where both players rank very highly, showing their ability to participate offensively despite playing at left-back.
In addition, Tymon has more progressive carry distance, as well as better defensive attributes, especially in his interceptions showing his intelligence and ability to cut off passes which can be very useful with Girona’s pressing. Nonetheless, in other offensive parts of the game, Tymon is worse than Gutiérrez.
Comparison of stats between Josh Tymon and Miguel Gutiérrez. (Fotmob, 2025).
When we look at each player’s offensive output we can see that even though Tymon does appear in an orange percentile he has just 0.01 less xG than Gutiérrez and ranks very highly in the assist output. This tells us about his remarkable capability to generate opportunities for his teammates, and also position himself close to the box to present a goal-threat.
Heatmaps of Josh Tymon and Miguel Gutiérrez (Sofascore, 2025).
In these heatmaps, we can see that Gutiérrez spends a lot more time in other parts of the field and in more offensive positions than Tymon, showcasing the Spaniard’s ability to invert and play in inverted positions. Nonetheless, Tymon does not seem like he is only participating on the wing as we can also see him at times in more centered positions showing that he is also capable of playing there.
Overall, Josh Tymon seems like a suitable replacement for Miguel Gutiérrez given his offensive performance and also ability to realize Míchel’s tactical innovations. In addition, his contract runs out in 2026, meaning that this summer Swansea will be obligated to sell him or he will leave on a free next summer. The only doubt is if he will be able to continue his form into a different country and a better league given he has only played in England thus far in his career.
Name: Lucas Piton
Position: Left Back
Country: Italy
Age: 24
Height: 175cm
Preferred Foot: Left
Current Club: Vasco da Gama
Context: Piton began his career in Corinthians where he spent 3 years and a half in the first team before joining Vasco da Gama in 2023 for €3 million where he has been ever since.
Here, we can see that Piton is very similar to Gutiérrez in his dribbling, crossing, and key passes metrics though he is perhaps a bit lower in scoring contributions. Nonetheless, his defensive attributes exceed those of Miguel Gutiérrez showing he is active in defending. Overall, we can see that Piton is quite similar to Gutiérrez and if he were to sign for Girona, the offensive capabilities of the team would not decrease substantially.
Comparison of stats between Lucas Piton and Miguel Gutiérrez. (FotMob, 2025).
This table shows each player’s offensive output, and the first observation we can make is Piton’s lack of goal threat with just 0.02xG which is quite poor compared to Gutiérrez. However, he does make up for it in his xA where he ranks very highly, something necessary to be an offensive full-back.
Heatmaps of Lucas Piton and Miguel Gutiérrez (Sofascore, 2025).
These heatmaps resemble each player’s positioning in the season, and one thing we can see is that Piton passes most of his time on the wing, and rarely comes inside at least in the last phase of possession. This is something he would have to increase doing though we can see him doing it in the build-up meaning that he is capable of occupying a more central position.
Overall, Lucas Piton seems like he is ready to make the jump to the next level with some excellent statistics in the Brazilian league which has improved in recent years. The only issue is he might have some trouble adapting to the new position he would have to occupy and the new league as it would be his first time abroad.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Junior Firpo, Josh Tymon, and Lucas Piton are the replacements that I have chosen for Miguel Gutiérrez at Girona due to their offensive capabilities. In my opinion, Girona should look at Junior Firpo as he would come on a free transfer and he already knows the league and the language so he shouldn’t have many issues adapting. Nonetheless, the other two options are a bit younger and could also do a great job.
By: Juan Fernandez Valencia / @ScoutLaLiga1
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Alex Caparros / Getty Images