Liverpool Keeping Close Eyes On This Brazilian Midfield Ace: Why Slot Must Make The Call | OneFootball

Liverpool Keeping Close Eyes On This Brazilian Midfield Ace: Why Slot Must Make The Call | OneFootball

Icon: The 4th Official

The 4th Official

·20 gennaio 2025

Liverpool Keeping Close Eyes On This Brazilian Midfield Ace: Why Slot Must Make The Call

Immagine dell'articolo:Liverpool Keeping Close Eyes On This Brazilian Midfield Ace: Why Slot Must Make The Call

According to Pete O’Rourke on the Inside Track podcast (as cited by the Liverpool Echo), Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Wolves midfield ace Joao Gomes. They might make a summer move for the Brazilian if  Vitor Pereira’s side fail to retain their top-flight status at the end of the current campaign.

The 23-year-old Selecao international progressed through the academy ranks of his boyhood club Flamengo. He made 122 senior appearances for the Scarlet and Black before plying his trade to England for €18.7m in January 2023. Soon he secured a starting status deep down the midfield and his presence as a combative ‘number six’ restored balance and stability amid the high-profile exits of Leander Dendoncker, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes over the past couple of seasons.


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Liverpool are going strong in all competitions including a six-point lead over Arsenal in the Premier League with a game in hand. While the egress of Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Thiago forced them to undergo a reconstruction in the centre of the pitch by roping in Domink Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endō and Ryan Gravenberch, attempts to bring in an outright deep-lying playmaker failed miserably in the recent past.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Joao Gomes and Andre of Wolverhampton Wanderers applaud the fans following the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Bristol City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Ashton Gate on January 11, 2025 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Why Liverpool Must Step Up The Chase For Gomes

The Reds were chasing Moisés Caicedo in the summer of 2024 who opted to join Chelsea instead. Endo was brought in as a short-term fix, but the Japanese ace primarily featured as a sporadic option rather than a regular first-team name during Jurgen Klopp’s final year in Merseyside. Arne Slot, too, does not view him as a key weapon and the emergence of Gravenberch as the ‘number six’ has reduced the cruciality of any immediate addition.

Besides Caicedo, the club failed to snap up Martin Zubimendi despite weeks of discussions. The Spaniard eventually chose to stay put at Real Sociedad but is expected to join Arsenal later this year. The Liverpool board must be under scrutiny for failing to land top targets time and again, also, the Dutch boss deserves some significant backing even though he has done wonders with little reinforcements.

Slot, who prefers a constructive defensive midfielder, could be boosted by Gomes’ arrival. The youngster is known for driving the show from the base and has shown his ball-carrying traits as a box-to-box option. He, along with fellow compatriot Matheus Cunha, have been the brightest sparks of this below-par Wolves team, and it remains to be seen whether the Reds intensify their interest irrespective of the Wanderers’ survival status.

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