Personal terms agreement means Liverpool could be set for years in key position

Liverpool are set for years at centre back after the news that Joe Gomez has signed a new long-term deal until 2027.

Gomez, 25, signed a new five-year deal and is currently the second longest-serving player at the club after Jordan Henderson.

The former Charlton player has been at Anfield since 2015 but has struggled for game time in recent seasons.

There was interest from Aston Villa this summer but the defender put pen to paper to commit his long-term future to Merseyside.

Injury issues

Gomez became a fan favourite in the Premier League title-winning year in 2019/20 but has since struggled with injuries.

An ankle injury in late 2018 kept him out for 124 days before issues with his Patella in late 2020 which saw him miss 231 days; both have seen him fall down the pecking order at centre back.

With the stellar form of the experienced Joel Matip and the emergence of last year’s signing Ibrahima Konate, Gomez has struggled for minutes in recent times.

However, he will be hoping that with a full pre-season ahead of him he can hit the ground running and begin to rediscover his form from the title-winning year which earned him so much praise.

Minutes with Konate needed

With Matip and van Dijk in and around 30 years old, Liverpool have taken steps to build for the future with Gomez’s new deal confirmed.

Alongside Konate, who’s made a glowing start to his career on Merseyside, Liverpool could be set for years with Gomez and Konate who will be an experienced pair full of pace and quality when the time comes.

Considering last season Liverpool played every single game available to them across all competitions due to their successes, these two will likely get chances to play together across the long season.

In total, the Reds played 63 games last term.

Klopp will want the pair to have a sense of familiarity together on the pitch and they will surely feature in games against lowly sides or cup games as they look to build some form of chemistry for the future.

Liverpool's future?

Konate joined from RB Leipzig last summer and featured 29 times for the Reds, winning the FA and Carabao Cup competitions.

Standing at 1.94m, the towering French centre-back didn’t lose a game until the very last game of the season in the Champions League against Real Madrid – a remarkable record for his debut season.

His only issue is that he experienced young injuries like Gomez, which could threaten a potential future partnership.

However, their pace and calmness on the ball will allow Liverpool to continue to play with a high line and intensity for years as long as the pair can stay fit and firing as fans look to a future without the imperious van Dijk in the years to come.