Liverpool have decided whether Joe Gomez will follow Ibrahima Konate and leave this summer
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Joe Gomez’s Liverpool future has been up in the air for some time ahead of the defender entering the final year of his contract.Since arriving from Charlton Athletic, the Englishman has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth and has often suffered from injury issues.There was a suggestion in 2025/26 that Gomez would leave Liverpool before next season gets underway, but it is now being reported that the stopper will be staying put. Has Konate lived up to his potential, or does he leave having not quite reached it?
The curtain comes down on five up and down years as a Red 😓 Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC Joe Gomez expected to stay at LiverpoolLiverpool’s centre-back ranks were very light in 2025/26 due to Giovanni Leoni suffering a long-term injury that kept him out of all but one game.Jeremy Jacquet is now arriving as cover in the summer, but even with those inexperienced defenders set to feature next term, Ibrahima Konate’s impending exit leaves Liverpool light of experienced stoppers.In turn, it is perhaps not surprising that the Reds are now planning to keep hold of Gomez this summer.With his deal up in 2027, it would have made sense for Liverpool to cash in now, but it looks as though the Merseyside outfit are happy to let him walk away for free next year.As per The Athletic: “Joe Gomez, the club’s longest-serving player, is likely to stay for the final year of his contract.”Joe Gomez remaining at Liverpool is bad newsWhile some may see this move as a positive, it is actually a clear sign that Liverpool probably won’t be looking to replace Konate in the transfer market.If we are being honest, Gomez is not good enough to start regularly at centre-back for a top-tier Premier League team.But even if he was, his injury record suggests he will probably miss half of next season anyway.However, the fact he’s expected to stay suggests that Liverpool will go into 2026/27 with Virgil van Dijk, Leoni, Jacquet and Gomez as their centre-back options.That is not good enough. Leoni and Jacquet may have huge potential and could be amazing players in the future.But gambling on either player hitting the ground running with no English top-flight experience, or any real experience at the very top of European football, is not going to help the Reds get back to their best.However, we have seen so many times over the years that FSG won’t spend money unless they really have to, and the decision to keep Gomez suggests they now think they can avoid dipping into their pockets to replace Konate.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox