Liverpool hold firm as Saudi Arabia come after another Reds star this summer

The 26-year-old England international is in the midst of his ninth season on Merseyside despite having a swath of injury set-backs after his arrival from Charlton in the summer of 2015.

By Andrew Thompson

August 28, 2023 at 10:50 pm GMT+1

Premier League title chasers Liverpool are ready to resist the ongoing market aggression from Saudi Arabia this summer after reports list Reds defender Joe Gomez as a high-valued target for Roshn Saudi League giants Al-Ittihad.

The 26-year-old England international is in the midst of his ninth season on Merseyside despite having a swath of injury set-backs after his arrival from Charlton in the summer of 2015.

Despite only featuring 175 times across his spell at Anfield, Gomez is still classed as an important piece under Jürgen Klopp. As such, information relayed by Fabrizio Romano states that the Reds insist that Gomez is not for sale as the summer transfer window is just days away from closing.

Al Ittihad have a shortlist of defenders — Liverpool’s Joe Gomez is very high on that list 🚨🔴🇸🇦 #LFC

Al Ittihad like Gomez as versatile player who can play anywhere across the back line.

Liverpool insist they’ve no intention to sell important players in the final days. pic.twitter.com/RdyQQjRj7D
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2023

The Saudi outfit is said to view Gomez as a high-valued summer target across a transfer window that has seen the PIF-backed market aggression hope to target at least 50 incoming deals for players to spread across the entirety of the Saudi top-flight, with Gomez’s versatility a focal point of their interest.

At the time of writing, Liverpool has already lost Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Al-Ittihad and al-Ettifaq respectively, while Roberto Firmino joined Al-Ahli on a free transfer.

More importantly, Klopp can only bank on four trusted central defenders in his squad, with Gomez’s name behind Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joel Matip despite the presence of Nathan Phillips in the senior set-up. Moreover, the Reds have just one right-back to call upon in Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Gomez often covering for the England international if he is unfit or unavailable for a variety of mitigating circumstances.

Unless the Reds have their heads turned by a bid too big to ignore, it is likely that Gomez will remain at the club this season.