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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Dan Marsh

Liverpool's forgotten man could be first to test Jurgen Klopp's transfer stance

Ever since Luis Diaz completed his whirlwind transfer to Liverpool in the final hours of the January transfer window, there has been a renewed surge of optimism around Anfield.

The Colombian trickster has helped to rejuvenate a side that has admirably kept the pace with Manchester City as the Reds bid for silverware on four fronts.

And Diaz himself played a key role in helping Jurgen Klopp end his domestic cup hoodoo with an all-star role in the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea.

As Liverpool dust themselves down to resume their hunt for additional accolades, it's hard to identify a weakness in this current Reds side after Diaz's arrival.

It feels like Alisson finally has genuine competition in goal in the wake of Caoimhin Kelleher's stunning match-winning display in Sunday's Carabao Cup triumph over Chelsea, which perhaps may have been the only other issue in the squad.

Bar Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, Liverpool now boast a multitude of high calibre options in every position.

Join the debate! Do you think Liverpool should cash in on Joe Gomez? Let us know here.

The issue going forward for Klopp is set to be keeping them all content. But that's a price worth paying when you consider the embarrassment of riches the German now has at his disposal.

However, there will still be casualties - and Joe Gomez could be the first.

It seems almost unthinkable that the former Charlton Athletic academy graduate has become expendable after striking up a commanding partnership with Virgil van Dijk after the Dutchman arrived at Anfield.

But the £36million arrival of Ibrahima Konate last summer and a string of injury issues have nudged Gomez down the pecking order on Merseyside.

And although recent reports have claimed that the Reds have no intention of cashing in on the 24-year-old, it's hard to see Gomez being content with the supporting role that is set to appease the likes of Kelleher and Kostas Tsimikas.

Despite expectations that Konate would slot in alongside Van Dijk, Joel Matip has impressed alongside the imperious Dutchman - further hampering Gomez's hopes of muscling back into the first-team fold.

Matip's renaissance has been an unexpected development this season.

Liverpool didn't shell out an excessive fee for Konate to warm the bench at Anfield - meaning it's only a matter of time before the former RB Leipzig man gets a starting berth.

Matip's stunning form and Konate's presence leaves Gomez in a relatively shaky position.

With England aspirations and a host of Premier League clubs reportedly ready to test Liverpool's stance on a future move, Gomez's future could come to a head sooner rather than later.

Liverpool may be willing to hold on to the 11-cap star, but it remains to be seen if Gomez is willing to wait for his chance to impress.

With Matip currently earning rave reviews alongside Van Dijk, and with Konate still waiting in the wings, all signs point to Gomez being the first Liverpool star to branch out on his own in search of regular first-team football.

Rio Ferdinand recently gave Matip the ultimate compliment by insisting that the Reds ace even out-performs Van Dijk in some aspects.

“Matip’s underrated,” he said on his Vibe with Five podcast . “He’s better at passing through the lines than Virgil. He passes through to the strikers much cleaner.

“But Virgil has got that big switch (of play), it’s a bad weapon.”

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