Liverpool‘s much-lauded transfer strategy took something of a hit last summer, with FSG’s expensive shopping spree failing to translate to instantaneous results on the pitch.

To put it bluntly, Arne Slot and his Premier League champions have been poor this season, and after 26 top-flight fixtures, find themselves embroiled in a dogfight for Champions League qualification.

Since losing to Bournemouth in the Premier League, Liverpool have won four of five matches in all competitions, the lone loss coming at Anfield against Manchester City. The gains are being made, but Slot himself has addressed the ramifications that could come from missing out on a place at Europe’s elite table.

The Anfield side will need to be as close to flawless as they can be, but they’ll need to do so against an avalanche of injuries that threaten to consume their campaign.

Liverpool’s injury record under Slot

Slot arrived on Merseyside with a reputation for expert player management. This was one of the leading reasons behind his appointment, with Jurgen Klopp’s high-octane teams susceptible to many setbacks.

And last year, this proved true for the former Feyenoord boss, plain sailing toward the Premier League title. However, it’s been a wildly different tale in 2025/26.

Any number of Reds first-teamers have been absent at one stage or another. Alexander Isak has been sidelined since December and he is out for at least another month, having broken his leg while scoring against West Ham United.

It’s been particularly frustrating in defence. Giovanni Leoni ruptured his ACL on his debut in September, the £27m summer signing from Parma sidelined until the later months of the calendar year. Given that Liverpool missed out on Marc Guehi last summer, this has been a staggering blow, and Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been overwhelmed many times this season.

Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley have both endured torrid terms on the fitness front, with right-back arguably the hardest-pressed position in the squad.

However, that said, one player still needs to leave, having found himself spiralling down a similar track as the injury-prone Naby Keita in recent seasons.

Liverpool must sell the new Naby Keita

Keita is arguably one of the most naturally gifted Liverpool players of the past decade. However, the Guinean midfielder’s innate ability was consumed by startling physical fragilities that prevented him from reaching his potential in Klopp’s system.

Sadly, Joe Gomez has suffered a similar fate on the fitness front, never quite reaching his potential due to so many setbacks over the years.

Even so, he’s one of the most accomplished members of the senior Anfield squad. In fact, Gomez is the longest-serving player at the club, having joined from Charlton Athletic for a sharp £3.5m fee in 2015.

While he’s notoriously never scored a goal in professional football, the versatile defender has been indispensable for Liverpool over the years, playing across so many different positions.

It’s fair to say that Liverpool have hit a bigger jackpot with the 28-year-old than with Keita, who joined from RB Leipzig for £52m with a weight of expectation but ultimately was unable to sustain minutes on the field.

Gomez isn’t quite in the same category, of course, but there’s hardly a guarantee that Liverpool will get bang for their buck if they persist with him over the next few years. Indeed, the injuries to Frimpong and Bradley this season have underscored his issues in keeping fit.

The England international is a top player and adored for his long and illustrious service at the club, but Newcastle United came sniffing last year and seemed willing to pay the equivalent of £45m in a prospective deal that would have seen Anthony Gordon go the other way. That one fell through.

He’s a unique player, but even so, Liverpool may want to consider cashing in this summer. Sadly, while Gomez is still capable of putting in strong displays, the wear-and-tear from an unfortunate career on the fitness front has paid its toll, and he’s bound to miss chunks of any given campaign.

Hailed by pundit Steve McManaman as an “absolutely priceless” asset for his ability to play in any defensive position and even in midfield, needs must, Gomez is a Liverpool legend, but he’s in the penultimate year of his contract and it wouldn’t be the most prudent move to tie him down into his thirties.

FSG recognised that they needed to let Keita go when his contract expired, but Gomez is still worth a buck and it might be worth cashing in while they can.

Gomez has been a stalwart servant for Liverpool over the years, but all good things come to an end, and with so many changes happening at the back for the Anfield side right now, it might not be a bad idea to let him leave and reset at the rear.

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