Pre-season promises to be a defining period for Liverpool’s Joe Gomez in terms of determining where he will be playing his football next season.
Regardless of what decision is made, though, the likelihood is that he will officially remain a Red with a loan move seemingly the only option were he to depart.
That said, even a temporary deal looks unlikely at the moment given the firm stance Jurgen Klopp is expected to take towards the defender’s situation.
The German will reject all loan approaches for the 20-year-old until he has made a final assessment later in the month, according to the Mirror.
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Gomez has been subject to interest from Premier League newcomers Brighton in recent weeks and has reportedly been assured of regular first team football by manager Chris Hughton.
Any proposed switch could now be put on hold until August in order for Klopp to take at look at the player during the club’s upcoming pre-season fixtures.
The expected arrival of a high-profile central defender promises to add to the competition for places at Liverpool, but by no means rule out Gomez being given first team opportunities next season- thanks to the Reds’ busy 2017/2018 schedule.
Klopp has made it no secret that the former Charlton man is part of his plans on Merseyside and has evidenced that further by his cautious approach to overseeing the Englishman’s return to action after spending most of 2016 sidelined with a cruciate injury.