Liverpool already have their ideal Joe Gomez replacement lined up | OneFootball

Joe Gomez's Liverpool future has been under some intense scrutiny over the last couple of years.

At one point, the Englishman was the Reds' second-best centre-back with only Virgil van Dijk ahead of him.

However, due to the number of injuries he's suffered throughout his career, his performance levels have dropped and now, he's only really good enough to be a back-up for Arne Slot's defence.

But, one good thing about the 28-year-old is his versatility. Even though his natural position is at centre-back, over the years he's been used as a left-back, a right-back and even a defensive midfielder.

This versatility is what keeps him among the Reds' first-team ranks and, if he does end up moving on in the summer and finally ends up joining AC Milan, as he has been touted to for quite some time now, Slot and Richard Hughes will need to find another versatile defender to replace him.

And, somewhat surprisingly, the perfect option to replace him has now been made more than clear.

Lutsharel Geertruida would be a perfect option to replace Joe Gomez

At the moment, Lutsharel Geertruida is playing for Sunderland on a season-long loan.

The Reds did try and sign the Dutchman during the January transfer window due to the number of injuries they'd suffered at right-back but unfortunately, a move never came to fruition.

However, now that Sunderland have confirmed that they won't be signing the Dutchman after his current loan deal expires, it feels like the perfect option for Liverpool to swoop in and sign him.

Not only is Geertruida just 25 years old but he's also played under Slot before which means that he aligns with the Reds' current transfer strategy.

And, much like Gomez, he's very versatile and can play anywhere across the back-line as well as in the number six.

Indeed, he wouldn't be homegrown which is another issue in itself, but, the fact that Liverpool would be able to bring in a younger version of Gomez this summer feels almost too good to be true.

How much Liverpool would have to fork out if they wanted to sign Lutsharel Geertruida

Seeing as though Geertruida has had a fairly solid campaign this term, it's hardly surprising to see that several Premier League clubs are vying for his transfer.

A recent update from TEAMtalk has outlined that Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Leeds United and Crystal Palace have all been looking at making a move for the Dutchman this summer.

Sunderland have a buy-option in their loan deal for Geertruida which is said to be worth around £20 million.

But, since they're not going to activate it, this could mean that the defender is available for a cut-rate fee, especially if RB Leipzig don't want to keep him around.

Geertruida's situation will certainly be an interesting one when the summer transfer window finally opens, but, for Liverpool to make a move, it feels like Gomez would have to go.

And, since AC Milan have made an offer for the Englishman during almost every transfer window for the past couple of years, now that there's a replacement for him, the 2025-26 season could genuinely be the last we see of Gomez in a Liverpool shirt.