Newcastle can seal their dream Botman alternative in "exceptional" 24-y/o ace - opinion

Newcastle United are reportedly among the Premier League clubs keeping an eye on Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez’s situation after it was revealed that the 24-year-old is looking to leave Anfield this summer.

According to 90min, the Englishman is a target for Newcastle, with the defender targeting a departure from Liverpool this summer amid little game-time so far this season.

Gomez has played just over 100 minutes of league football all season after returning from rehab following a serious knee injury which kept him out for the majority of last term.

Eddie Howe’s side have been linked with a plethora of different centre-backs since PIF bought the club in October, with Lille’s Sven Botman a heavily-linked target in January despite a move not materialising.

Although the Magpies appear set to face competition from numerous Premier League rivals for Gomez’s signature, the 24-year-old is certainly worth targeting.

Despite a tricky last year-and-a-half for the defender, the Englishman was instrumental in Liverpool’s 2019/20 title success, making 43 appearances across all competitions and very much being in England manager Gareth Southgate’s plans.

With the World Cup set to take place later this year, the 11-cap defender will certainly be keen on being reintegrated into the national team setup ahead of the tournament as England look to go one better than in the European Championship last summer.

Although their recent form has been exceptional, it has become clear that Newcastle will need to invest in their defence this summer if they are serious about pushing up the Premier League table in 2022/23.

Only three clubs have conceded more than the Magpies’ 47 goals so far this term, with the likes of Jamal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark