Use your head like Sadio and subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Liverpool FC are targeting potential again.

Having already added three new faces to their squad this summer, the Reds are closing in on a fourth. Joe Gomez, the 18-year-old Charlton Athletic defender, is the man in their sights. A deal for the England U19 international could be completed as early as this week.

So while Kopites are now furiously trawling the internet for knowledge on their potential new signing, the ECHO has spoken to Richard Cawley, deputy sports editor of the South London Press. Richard has seen Gomez’s development at Charlton first hand, and was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.

Thanks for your time Richard. Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about the kind of player Joe is? What are his strengths and weaknesses?

He’s very much a ball-playing defender. He’s played mainly at right back for Charlton’s first team, but he is seen as a centre back, long-term. He played a few games there in the Championship, and never looked out of place at all. For an 18-year-old, he is very mature, physically, in that he has pace and strength. He is also a good passer, who has real composure under pressure. Against experienced Championship players, either as a right back or a centre back, he was never dominated, never flustered, though of course he still has plenty to learn from a defensive side.

So centre back is his position for the long term, you think?

Yes. I did an interview with him last year in which he named Rio Ferdinand as one of his idols growing up, because he was a ball-playing centre back. Joe is very much of that ilk, although of course he is still very young. Guy Luzon, the Charlton manager, was very keen to build his defence around Gomez as a centre back, and coming through it has always been felt that he would end up in the middle.

I guess Charlton are reluctant to let him go, then?

Yes and no, really. Of course, from a footballing perspective they would like him to stay. As mentioned, Guy Luzon spoke about making him one of the key players next season, and he has certainly looked the part whenever called upon this term. But Roland Duchatelet, the Charlton owner, is a businessman. And Charlton generally lose money each year, so a sale now makes financial sense for the club. Joe has long had admirers from the Premier League, so it is no great surprise that he is leaving.

Is this the right time for him to step up?

Time will tell. One thing I would say is that whenever Joe has spoken, he has always mentioned being wary of jumping too soon, and how his long-term development and playing games regularly is the key thing. As I say, he’s always had suitors, all through his youth-team career (he played for the U18s when he was 13 or 14, for example) so it has always felt like a matter of time before he moved up. I think that Charlton would like to loan him back for another year, ideally, but it remains to be seen whether that is an option. He’s certainly a huge talent, and one that a lot of people think can go a long way in the game.