Real Madrid eyeing move for 24-year-old Liverpool man next summer - Reports

Real Madrid are interested in signing Liverpool center-back Joe Gomez in the 2022 summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.

Earlier reports had suggested that 24-year-old Gomez could move to Aston Villa in January. However, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp recently reiterated that he intends to use the defender and does not plan to sell him in the winter transfer window.

The recent spate of COVID-19 cases within the Premier League could also force Liverpool to deploy Gomez in more games after the turn of the year.

The Merseysiders could look to sell center-back Nathaniel Phillips in January instead. If they do so, Gomez and Ibrahima Konate could become their second-choice center-back pairing behind Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip.

Real Madrid's interest in Gomez is also understandable. Los Blancos sold Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane last summer but brought in only one center-back in the form of David Alaba. Eder Militao is also an option, but the club will want another top-class center-back in their squad.

Carlo Ancelotti's side have been linked with multiple players in recent weeks. Antonio Rudiger, Jules Kounde, Pau Torres and Matthijs de Ligt are all reportedly viewed as potential options by Real Madrid. Rudiger could be the easiest signing out of the four as his Chelsea contract expires next summer.

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Real Madrid target Joe Gomez has had an injury-ridden Liverpool career

Joe Gomez joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic back in the summer of 2015. Gomez, then just 18 years of age, made only seven appearances across all competitions after a cruciate ligament injury ruined his first season at Anfield.

The following season saw the Englishman suffer another injury, this time to his Achilles tendon. As a result, he made just 11 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions.

Gomez finally seemed to have broken his rotten run of luck in the 2017-18 campaign as he made 31 appearances across all competitions for Jurgen Klopp's side. However, an ankle injury, which required surgery, cut his season short once again.

Gomez made 26 appearances across all competitions in the 2018-19 season. He then played 43 times in Liverpool's historic 2019-20 campaign that ended in the club winning their first league title since 1990.

However, injury issues have struck once again, and the Real Madrid target has made just 21 appearances for the club since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Repeated fitness problems have been a source of worry for Liverpool as they have consistently derailed Gomez's time at Anfield.

Overall, the defender has made just 132 appearances for the Reds in six years. However, he has won the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup during this period.