Aston Villa Not Giving Up On Liverpool Star As Steven Gerrard Is 'Huge Admirer': Report

Aston Villa have reportedly not given up on landing Liverpool FC center-back Joe Gomez.

Gomez is one of the key members of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. After a failed attempt at the beginning of the 2022 January market, Aston Villa will make another move as they want to secure Gomez before the end of the winter market, reported Football Insider. However, International Business Times, could not verify it independently.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who is Aston Villa’s current manager, is a "huge admirer" of Gomez. The English defender, who is contracted with Liverpool until 2024, has slipped in Klopp’s pecking order after missing most of last season with a knee injury. These days, either Liverpool’s summer signing Ibrahima Konate or Joel Matip start for the Reds as Virgil van Dijk’s partner in the center of the backline.

Earlier, Gomez was Klopp’s first-choice to partner Van Dijk as the two were key in Liverpool’s title win in the 2019-20 season.

In the ongoing season, Gomez has made only 12 appearances for Liverpool, across all competitions. To bring more perspective, Gomez has bagged only a total of 12 minutes for Liverpool in the Premier League, having come on the field four times in the competition.

Earlier in the campaign, backing Gomez’s situation, Klopp said the Reds have not rushed into the player’s rehabilitation and are being patient.

"So, it was obviously not the best year for Joe with the injury and then coming back and having another injury because that’s how it can go. We didn’t rush his recovery or rehab from the tendon injury, but when you start playing again and training again and all these kinds of things after long term - [and] we had then four 100 per cent fit center-halves, which is why it is not so easy to get game time immediately - then you have game time, then you play and then the body is not ready for it and that’s it,” Klopp was quoted by Liverpool media, as saying in a press conference.

Liverpool recently defeated Crystal Palace 3-1 and are still in the title race, even though they are nine points behind leaders Manchester City.