James Pearce: Liverpool stalwart who recently cast doubt on his future is now ‘likely to stay’ | OneFootball

According to a report from James Pearce, one Liverpool player who’s recently cast doubt over his future at the club now seems set to remain at Anfield for at least another season.

Earlier this month, Joe Gomez admitted to reporters that he was uncertain whether or not he’d still be a Red by the end of the summer, saying that ‘anything can happen’ as he enters the final year of his contract on Merseyside.

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LFC’s defensive options will already look markedly different for 2026/27 as things stand, with Jeremy Jacquet coming into the squad but Ibrahima Konate set to leave on a free transfer once his contract ends a month from now.

Pearce: Gomez ‘likely to stay’ at Liverpool

Pearce published an article for The Athletic in which he analysed the reasons behind the Frenchman’s impending exit, with he and the club unable to agree on terms for a new deal at Liverpool.

A few paragraphs into that piece, the journalist looked at the centre-back options the Reds will have for next season, and be wrote that Gomez ‘is likely to stay for the final year of his contract’.

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Keeping Gomez is now crucial for Liverpool

Up until Friday, keeping the 29-year-old would’ve been desirable. Following the news that Konate is set to leave this summer, that has now become essential.

Thankfully Virgil van Dijk will remain as the ever-present defensive commander for at least one more season, but after that the centre-back options consist of Gomez and two raw (albeit hugely promising) youngsters in Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, neither of whom has played in the Premier League.

Perhaps the new Liverpool head coach (be it Andoni Iraola or someone else) will push to bring in another experienced defender to complement that quartet and add further competition for places.

If that doesn’t happen, though, keeping our long-serving number 2 will be crucial in terms of squad depth, and the invaluable advice he could pass on to his two younger positional peers as they make their way in English football.

Off the back of Konate’s impending exit, the Reds may lose two more centre-backs to free transfers next summer in Van Dijk and Gomez, but having them around for the 2026/27 campaign is far preferable to selling them this year, especially when neither would command a sizeable fee at this stage of their respective careers.