Aston Villa eye move for Liverpool defender
According to football journalist Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for Liverpool and England defender Joe Gomez as they seek to replace the departing Diego Carlos.
Fulham have began talks with Aston Villa over a deal to sign the Brazilian centre-half and Villa are keen to move him on this summer due to his age and high salary. Should Carlos depart Villa would be left with just Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Tyron Mings. With Mings' fitness uncertain Villa have little depth in the centre-back department and the experience of Gomez would prove most useful.
Villa are not the only club rumoured to be interested in Gomez's services however. West Ham, Brentford and Crystal Palace are also allegedly keen on exploring the possibility of a deal with Liverpool for the 27-year-old defender with 15 senior England caps to his name.
Aston Villa are one of the clubs keeping a close eye on Joe Gomez’s situation. @GraemeBailey #avfc
— 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗩𝗙𝗖 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹 | 𝕏 (@theavfcfaithful) August 5, 2024
After apparently being part of the deal that would have seen Antony Gordon head to Liverpool from Newcastle this summer, Gomez believes his playing opportunities at Anfield are limited and is therefore looking for a move this summer. Aston Villa could be the perfect destination for him with the Villans looking to replace and upgrade Diego Carlos. The table below represents Joe Gomez's stats in defensive areas compared to Villa's centre-back's for the 2023/24 season.
Player | Aerial duels | Pass Completion | Tackle completion |
|---|---|---|---|
Joe Gomez | 75.6% | 82.8% | 47.6% |
Diego Carlos | 44.7% | 88.4% | 61.9% |
Ezri Konsa | 68.2% | 91.1% | 85.2% |
Pau Torres | 51.1% | 87.4% | 46.7% |
Villa's biggest issue last season was defending set pieces and crosses. The team conceded 61 goals last season with 16 of those coming from set pieces. Only Burnley, Sheffield United, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest had a worse record. Without Tyrone Mings's dominant presence in the air at the back last season Villa were vulnerable from crosses and despite it being, allegedly, one of Diego Carlos's great strengths he did not have the defensive impact in the air that Villa were looking for. Therefore, as you can see by the stats, Joe Gomez would definitely provide more stability for the defence than Carlos in the air and therefore would help the team concede less goals.
Gomez has also shown his versatility over the years by playing in all areas across the Liverpool defence and his form for the club last season saw him claim a spot in England's squad for Euro 2024.
With nearly 150 Premier League appearances to his name as well as 36 Champions League matches under his belt, Gomez would provide a wealth of much-needed experience and quality to the squad. Villa will hope to get a deal secured prior to the season's opener against West Ham in just under two weeks time.
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