Newcastle United have "long admired" Liverpool's Joe Gomez, and they are interested in a summer move for the centre-back, according to agent Haydn Dodge, who recently spoke to CaughtOffside.
Who could Newcastle sign this summer?
It is fair to say Eddie Howe's side have surpassed expectations this season, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League, two points off the top four with two games in hand, but the manager still wants to strengthen in multiple areas this summer.
In terms of attacking options, Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson has recently been scouted, while Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips could be brought in to bolster the midfield, amid a lack of game time with the reigning champions. There has been less talk about new signings in defence, given that Newcastle have the best defensive record in the top flight, however they could target a player from a rival top flight club…
According to Dodge, Howe is a big fan of Gomez, and is looking to bring him to St. James' Park ahead of next season. In an interview with CaughtOffside, the agent said:
“It is quite well known that Newcastle United have long admired defender Joe Gomez as they look to bolster their centre-half options ahead of several players being out of contract this summer.”
Will Joe Gomez sign for Newcastle?
The bad news for Newcastle is that Liverpool are under no real obligation to sell the defender, given that he is contracted until the summer of 2027, meaning that it may take a huge bid to prise him away from the Merseyside club. There are some indications that the Englishman could be worth it, as a result of his performances for Liverpool across a number of seasons, making 28 appearances in the Reds' title-winning 2019-20 campaign, achieving an average match rating of 6.92.
The current campaign has been far more of a struggle for Liverpool, but Gomez has still managed to impress at times, being hailed "sensational" by the media back in October, after a dominant performance in Jurgen Klopp's side's 1-0 triumph against Man City, making six clearances and winning three tackles.
Even so, centre-back should not be a priority position for Newcastle to upgrade in the summer, considering Fabian Schar and Sven Botman are among the best-performing players in the squad, and the £85k-per-week Liverpool defender would be likely to cost far too much money, given his contract situation.