Whelan Tips Aston Villa To Land This Liverpool Centre-Back: Should Gerrard Launch A Move?

In a recent interview with Football Insider, ex-Leeds forward Noel Whelan has tipped Aston Villa to land Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez. Whelan said,

“Absolutely, that’s a very fair price for a quality player (Gomez).

“They’d (Aston Villa) be getting a very good player. As well as someone who is experienced and ready to go in the Premier League.

“The problem, however, is keeping him fit. Can he stay fit for a whole season? If he can, then there’s a massive chance of Aston Villa breaking into that top six.

“He’s a solid player. Liverpool would be sad to see him go, there’s no doubt, he’s been a very good servant for them – both at centre-back and full-back.

“He’d be a great capture for any side outside the top six – he could be a leader for those sorts of teams.”

Gomez’s Injury Plagued Season In English Football

Gomez is having a difficult campaign at Anfield as he has struggled to earn regular game time in Premier League football. He has missed a lot of games this season due to multiple injuries. The English sensation has only been involved in 13 matches for the Reds during this campaign, receiving just 530 minutes of playing time on all fronts.

The 24-year-old has proven himself to be a decent squad player at the Merseyside club based on his average of 0.8 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game in the Premier League. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball in the final third after making 86.3% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).

Should Aston Villa Launch A Move For Gomez?

Gomez is a solid tackler of the ball and is usually quick to spot the danger that helps make a few important interceptions at the back. The English talent doesn’t take too many risks when clearing his lines at the back. He has even got the pace to track back and make some recovering runs inside his half when required.

Gomez is also proficient at playing his way out from the back but frequent injuries have hampered his progress at Liverpool over the past few years.

At 24, the England international’s best years are ahead of him. Thus, it makes sense for Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard to launch a move to bring him to Villa Park in the summer. We can expect Gomez to add more bite and steel to the Villans’ defence and could go on to become a future star at the West Midlands club.