Joe Gomez's future at Liverpool is under scrutiny. The defender's contract runs out next summer, and the likelihood of the Reds extending his stay seems slim.
The Athletic reports that this is just one of many decisions facing sporting director Julian Ward. Gomez has been sidelined and appears to have fallen down the pecking order, making his exit seem inevitable.
However, there’s a complication. Gomez is a homegrown player, and Liverpool are currently exceeding their limits on non-homegrown players. Replacing the Englishman with a foreign talent becomes a tricky proposition.
This brings us to the club’s potential target: Jarrell Kwanza. The expectation is that he will return to Liverpool by 2027. The 23-year-old centre-back is currently making waves at Bayer Leverkusen and has already earned a call-up to the England squad.
Kwanza is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, which would help the club navigate the squad registration rules. According to insights from Fabrizio Romano, the deal with the German side includes a buyback option priced at €60 million. This could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for the Reds.
With Virgil van Dijk's contract also set to expire next summer, Liverpool must start contemplating a future without their captain. It’s quite possible that Kwanza, alongside Jeremy Doku, could form a new central defensive partnership in the post-Van Dijk era.
