Joe Gomez’s contract situation is explained by Liverpool’s victory over Man City in the £75 million transfer chase.
At Anfield, Liverpool needs to sign a new contract with a defender. The summer transfer market, Man City, and Virgil van Dijk all contribute to explaining why.
When Liverpool paid Virgil van Dijk a record-breaking £75 million in January 2018, they were certain he was the primary defender they required to support Jürgen Klopp’s positions.
Despite connections to Aymeric Laporte and others, the Spanish international moved to Manchester City for £57 million during the same transfer window that the Reds signed Van Dijk, who only needed Anfield.
As well as the self-evident (his quality), part of the explanation that Liverpool spent such a huge amount on Van Dijk was, truth be told, the absence of choices. Few would address now that the Dutchman is the most incredible in his situation on the planet, yet very the amount of a hole there is to the rest is a slight shock.
This summer alone, there is an absence of players to play the situation at a undeniable level, reflected in the names being promoted for moves and at what costs.
Matthijs de Ligt has a delivery statement of €120m (£103m) at Juventus, with Chelsea among the groups credited with an interest in him (they are offering a £40m in addition to Christian Pulisic or Timo Werner bargain).
Sevilla’s Jules Koundé is esteemed at €60m (£51m) however has not even close to the experience or level of administration of Van Dijk. Koundé appeared to be continuing on the previous summer, yet wound up waiting for one more year.
Kalidou Koulibaly, some way or another still at Napoli having been connected with a leave each summer (and most Januarys) perpetually, is evidently on the radar of Barcelona and a few others — presently 31, his arrangement terminates in Italy in another season.
Milan Škriniar (€60m-appraised) of Inter Milan has been connected with Chelsea and Tottenham as the two clubs scramble for focus backs. Spikes are getting so frantic for increments to mollify Antonio Conte that even Clément Lenglet has been intensely connected with a credit move.
Nathan Aké (£50m-in addition to) needs more minutes at Manchester City and could thusly move to Chelsea or somewhere else looking for those, five years after leaving Stamford Bridge for Bournemouth.
Harry Maguire (£80m from Leicester to Manchester United) and Lucas Hernandez (£69m from Atlético Madrid to Bayern Munich) are the main others to get inside the Van Dijk ballpark, with problematic achievement.
Chelsea are by a long shot the most frantic, having lost Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen for no good reason. Prods, in any event, marked Cristian Romero the previous summer and subsequently most likely just need one this year.
Liverpool, however, will be happy not to must dunk into the market with such a deficiency of top-class choices. This is precisely why they are quick to talk with Joe Gomez about a restoration once pre-season starts on Monday.
