Joe Gomez, Liverpool’s longest-serving player, was forced off injured just eight minutes into their first pre-season game against Sunderland. Man, what a rough start for new head coach Andoni Iraola. That injury immediately blew a huge hole in the heart of Liverpool’s defense, especially with Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni already not fit to play. Iraola’s squad was “very thin” defensively even before Gomez went down, so this is exactly what they did *not* need.
Liverpool’s Defensive House of Cards
Gomez missed Liverpool’s training session in Chicago on Sunday, and everyone is waiting on an update for the severity of his injury this week. The guy has a history, missing 225 games due to injury since signing in 2015. With him out and other defenders sidelined, Virgil van Dijk is the *only* fit senior centre-back available. Van Dijk, the team captain, is 35 years old and played every single minute in the Premier League last season. He is definitely not the force he once was, and here’s the kicker: both he and Gomez are in the final year of their contracts. There’s a real possibility both could be gone next summer. Talk about a ticking time bomb for the backline!
Youth Prospects Aren’t the Immediate Fix
Liverpool’s scouting department, led by Matt Newberry, head of global talent, clearly has an eye on the future. They shelled out a combined £3.5m for two U17 World Cup centre-backs, Mor Talla Ndiaye from Senegal and Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria, last November. Guess what? These two teenagers were the center-back pairing for *most* of that Sunderland game. While that’s great for “future planning,” it screams “we have a problem *now*.” Liverpool let Ibrahima Konate leave for Real Madrid on a free transfer, believing Jacquet, 21, and Leoni, 19, who they bought for £60m and £26m respectively, were the best young centre-backs out there. Jacquet is in line to make his debut against Leeds on Sunday, but former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler nailed it when he said, “We need players. It’s fairly obvious.” These young guys, including Ndiaye and Ndukwe, are “far from the finished product.” They need that experience that Gomez and Van Dijk offer, but it’s just not there.
What’s Next for Iraola’s Squad?
This situation isn’t entirely new. Liverpool failed to seal a deal for Marc Guehi last summer. They even have a buyback clause for Jarell Quansah, who they sold for £35m to Bayer Leverkusen last July, but there are no plans to bring him back right now. The deals for Jacquet and Victor Munoz alone have cost a combined £94.5m. Sources are saying that if Liverpool brings in Bradley Barcola, valued at over £100m by Paris St-Germain, then the market will be limited for more moves. This summer won’t be another £450m spending spree without some big player departures. Liverpool takes on Wrexham on Wednesday in New York, and then there’s Jacquet’s potential debut against Leeds on Sunday. Iraola needs to find some real answers fast because relying on youth and aging stars with expiring contracts is not a recipe for success.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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