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Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that Liverpool defender Joe Gomez might be sold this summer despite signing a new contract recently.
Gomez, who joined the Reds from Charlton Athletic for £3.5 million in the summer of 2015, penned a new five-year deal with the Reds earlier this month. During his seven-year stay at Anfield, the 25-year-old has won six trophies, including a Premier League and a UEFA Champions League.
However, owing to injuries, he has slipped down the pecking order in the past two seasons. Last season, he featured in 21 games across competitions, including four Premier League starts.
Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor commented on the future of the centre-back. He said:
"It's quite strange. That might be a financial thing where getting him to sign a new contract means if somebody wants to buy him, it's going to cost them more. I don’t think they have given him a new contract because they see him playing more over the next four years."
He continued:
"(Joel) Matip, (Ibrahima) Konate and (Virgil) Van Dijk are all ahead of him. It's more to protect themselves and say 'If you want Gomez, it's going to cost you a lump sum'. It could be a release clause, but it's more to stop him going down to one year on his contract when he will be worth less. If they tie him to a new contract, then they can get more for him.
Agbonlahor added:
"It wouldn’t surprise me if he still left this summer for a big fee. He's not going to play football; there's no chance of him getting in the England squad; he needs to move. It's crazy for him to want to stay at Liverpool and sit on the bench all season."
Gomez has made 142 appearances for the Reds across competitions and was a crucial key player in their triumphant 2019-20 Premier League campaign.
Jurgen Klopp dismisses Liverpool's interest in Jude Bellingham
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that a deal for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is unlikely this summer. Speaking at a pre-season press conference in Thailand, he said (via GOAL):
"He's not on the market, so that's the first problem with that player. Well, that's the only problem with that player."
He added:
"I don't think something will happen in midfield, but you never know. If somebody comes to you and says 'I want to go', then ... Nobody came to me yet but if that happens then we have to talk new."
After losing 4-0 in their opening pre-season friendly against Manchester United, Liverpool will face Crystal Palace in Singapore on July 15. The Reds will take on RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg and Strasbourg later this month to complete their preparations for the new season.
