One of Virgil van Dijk’s closest friends at Liverpool could finally leave the club in the summer after the Reds secured a replacement
Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool buddy, Joe Gomez, may finally leave the club after new competition arrives in the summer(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk may bid adieu to his close mate Joe Gomez in the summer following Liverpool’s acquisition of a new centre-back last month. The seasoned defender has been earmarked for departure, with the Reds refusing to approve a sale unless a replacement was secured.
Initially, Marc Guehi was viewed as the future of Liverpool’s defence under Arne Slot. However, Manchester City swooped in and nabbed the Crystal Palace star in January for an initial £20million fee.
Gomez has had limited pitch time this season, appearing just 20 times across all competitions. Despite AC Milan expressing interest in the sidelined star, no transfer materialised.
At the time, it was reported the Italian club were eager to recruit Gomez and submitted an offer to Liverpool. The Reds reiterated the 28-year-old would not be permitted to leave unless a replacement was brought in, and Guehi slipped through their grasp before the summer transfer window closed.
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Liverpool have, however, since struck a £60m deal for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet to join the club in the summer. This will pave the way for Gomez to contemplate his future, with his contract expiring next year.
READ MORE: Jeremy Jacquet injury update after Liverpool signing suffered ‘serious’ blowREAD MORE: Arne Slot’s Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk actions hint at Ibrahima Konate contract update
One current player who would bid a sorrowful farewell to the defender is Van Dijk after the pair forged a tight bond over the years. The Liverpool captain has repeatedly expressed his fondness for the England international.
“I think the [team-mate I am closest with] at the moment is Joe Gomez,” he said in 2024. “We’ve been through everything together here at the club, highs and lows, and you know we are very close to each other.”
Gomez and Van Dijk have grown very close over the course of their time together at Liverpool(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Gomez told The Anfield Wrap how pivotal the Dutchman has been for the Reds since assuming the captaincy in 2023. Speaking two years ago, he gushed: “I can’t put it into words. I know what it means for him, and I really get to see the inside and how things sometimes are tough.
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“The little things that people might not see in a training ground when you need to make decisions or enforce moments when it’s like, ‘Lads, we need to be better at this,’ or it might be timekeeping. It might be different things that you don’t want to slip out of place.
“Virg has done it in his own way, and it’s made him even more appreciated amongst us as a team. His ability speaks for itself; he’s the best at what he does, he’s the best in the world and probably the best the club has ever had in that position.”
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