Liverpool Face Huge Joe Gomez Decision Amid Bayern Munich Links
About eighteen months when the reds faced Napoli in the Champions League, I saw one of the worst Joe Gomez performances I am ever likely to view. That entire 2022/23 season represented the comeback year of the former Charlton athletic Academy product, which just happened to coincide with a campaign littered with players in regression. His own road to recovery from that horrendous patella rupture, appeared to have stripped away the pace, power, and confidence, of a once ultra talented and sublime defender. I do not even need to look back up articles I wrote that season, to know that I would have championed moving on versatile footballer at the first opportunity.
In my mind, there was absolutely no way that the former Premier and Champions League winner would ever get back close to the form which made him an every game starter next to Liverpool ‘s club captain, Virgil van Dijk. This most recent season, however, has been one of the most astounding bounced back campaigns I can recall of any Liverpool player. Gomez has fundamentally been a central defender, though last term he stood out as Klopp’s best left back, best defensive right back, and the Swiss Army knife that at one point was able to put in a solid performance as defensive midfield. The body of work and consistent performances have seen him earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, as they gear up for the forthcoming European Championships in Germany.
Bayern Munich’s Interest
Speculation these few days has seen Bayern Munich linked with the 27-year-old, who at the end of the season was surrounded by reports that he was open to a move away from Merseyside, to secure guaranteed first team football. Once upon a time, I wrote a piece proclaiming that the 6ft 2inch defender be sold, however, I am about to embark on an updated version which implies the valuable squad member should stay.
Gomez’s Future Under Arne Slot
Under the new management, a more compact formation of 4-2-3-1 will be utilised from next season. The squad does not arrive back at the AXA Training Centre for preseason until into July, with so many set to arrive late due to participation for their national countries, in either the European Championships or the Copa America. I suspect the blueprint for next season has already been laid out and that both the sporting CEO, Michael Edwards, and the new sporting Director, Richard Hughes, will be all too aware of the pieces that are required to form a squad capable of undertaking Slots plan for success.
There are still so many questions surrounding the futures of Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Andy Robertson. The Columbian flyer has been linked with a move to either Barcelona or PSG this window, whereas the other four listed players are all set to enter the final year of their existing contracts. I hope that new contract extensions will be delivered to all those mentions (barring Diaz), though it is impossible to foresee that that will indeed come to fruition.
In that eventuality and even regardless of any sales, I would be delighted to see the 15-cap England player, Joe Gomez, start the season as first choice left back. I am undoubtedly still a fan of Andy Robertson and despite my gratitude for everything he has achieved, I do not see how the more defensive left back role will suit the frame and physicality of the 30-year-old Scotsman. I suspect that much like with his former team, Feyenoord, the new Liverpool head coach will want to solidify his back line with a functioning three-man wall (in possession) which will allow the right sided fallback to push on as the left sided full back covers round to create a back three. This type of initiative would then allow more flexibility and cover for the counter attacks that came all too frequently last season.
There are constant rumblings of Liverpool wanting to source a left-sided defender, with all those linked able to operate as a fullback and centre half. I would not hesitate to offer Joe Gomez the chance to take that position and make it his own, with Robbo tasked into a rotation role for the more adequate games. With a contract set to run until 2027, the Liverpool number two is still in his prime and entering the best form of his career. Under Arne Slot, a new vision may well offer more first team opportunities to a man that featured in 51 games last season. I suspect it would be hard to turn down the chance of being an integral part of Liverpool V2.0, which gives me encouragement that he will remain at Anfield.
My wants and desires mean absolutely zero within the halls of the history club, therefore, if the player is determined to leave and a bid north of £50m was to be received, I could at least accept that that money would be placed in the very safe hands of the Liverpool executives. As both the European Championships and the summer transfer window get set to spring to life this Friday, I expect that the former will see the latter stutter somewhat, which means the expectant Liverpool fanbase will have to be patient, as the plans of the new leadership group starts to take shape.
