Liverpool must now brutally sell £85k-p/w dud who loses possession every 4.5 minutes - opinion

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez could be set to depart Anfield this summer after struggling for game time since returning from a serious knee injury.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan suggested that a move out of Merseyside for the centre-back is “on the cards” with Aston Villa long term admirers of the 24-year-old.

It was reported by the Mirror earlier this week that Villa boss Steven Gerrard is keen to bring the Englishman to the West Midlands in order to get his career back on track having failed to bring Gomez to Villa Park in January.

The defender has been limited to just 20 appearances across all competitions this term and now finds the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate ahead of him in the pecking order.

Although Gomez has been an excellent servant for Liverpool, it seems incredibly unlikely that the 24-year-old will manage to climb up the pecking order and become a regular under Jurgen Klopp once again.

Prior to rupturing his patella tendon on international duty in November 2020, Gomez had been a regular in the Reds’ Premier League title-winning campaign in 2019/20, making 28 league appearances as well as another 15 across other competitions.

However, since returning to the fold, the Englishman has found himself further down the food chain and it appears as though his days at Anfield are now numbered.

The £85k-per-week defender has struggled to impress when handed a rare opportunity in the top-flight this season, losing possession on average once every 4.5 minutes, although game time has been limited.

However, based on his performances prior to his injury, Gomez would be an excellent addition for Villa with Gerrard reportedly keen to upgrade on his current