Joe Gomez: Can Liverpool Wonderkid Live Up to Expectations?

Liverpool's English right-/centre-back Joe Gomez, 18, is a transfer who gives Reds supporters an exciting talent to follow.

However, Gomez will be burdened with expectations to perform when called upon, otherwise he will just be another wasted defensive prospect who fails to make the grade at Liverpool.

Wonderkid Defender

Adapted from UEFA's website

Playing as a right-sided centre-back in England under-17 national team manager John Peacock's team, Gomez excelled last year.

The UEFA European Under-17 Championship technical observers marvelled at Gomez's ball-playing prowess as he contributed to England winning the tournament in 2014, per UEFA's website:

"

England centre-back Joe Gomez was willing to indulge in powerful up-field runs, notably the high-speed incursion as far as the Turkish byline, when he produced the cutback that allowed Dominic Solanke to tap in the equaliser.

... Although defence-to-attack transitions were generally fast, only three goals could be genuinely attributed to counter-attacks, one of them being the Gomez upfield surge [against Turkey].

... Power runs by centre-back Joe Gomez and midfielder Joshua Onomah = dangerous counters [for England].

"

Gomez dominates in age-restricted games, according to England youth international team-mate Ryan Ledson.

"Big Joe is an absolute train. When he gets forward there's no stopping him," Ledson said, per UEFA's website. "He's the big boy, the hard one [and] he's massive as well."

One of Gomez's idols is Rio Ferdinand.

"I try to enhance my abilities every day, and I do like to pick up the ball and bring it out from the back," Gomez said, per Gary Stonehouse at the FA. "I grew up watching players like Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King and I try to aspire to be like them."

Unfazed by Dan Gosling's pressing, Gomez flicked the ball and simultaneously shielded it from the Bournemouth midfielder.

Playing two one-twos with Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Gomez was in an advantageous attacking position during Charlton Athletic's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

Latching on to a Gudmundsson pass, Gomez whipped in a low cross to Yoni Buyens, who scored in Charlton Athletic's 3-2 win against Reading.

These are glimpses of Gomez's confidence on the ball, which is why he has interchanged from centre-back to right-back.

"I really enjoyed [playing at right-back] because I like to get forward," Gomez said, per Chris Shaw at Liverpool's website. "But I definitely see myself as a centre-back, I feel more comfortable there and enjoy it there."

Adapted from Wyscout

Calculated Gamble

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

"English players are [so] overpriced," Ferdinand tweeted.

Fifteen years earlier, Ferdinand transferred from West Ham United to Leeds United for €30.7 million/£18 million.

The "overpriced" transfer prompted Henry Winter at the Telegraph to point out: "One shudders to imagine what sort of fee [Wes] Brown, a superior defender if less sophisticated ball-user, could command."

In 2002, Manchester United paid Leeds United €46.8 million/£30 million to sign Ferdinand.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Unlike Ferdinand, who commanded lofty transfer fees, Gomez has been bought at a modest price, which is unusual given his circumstances.

Charlton Athletic rewarded Gomez with a new contract until 2017. 

"It's a relief because the intention was to get [the contract extension] done as quickly as possible. It's taken a little while but it's good that it's done now and I'm happy," Gomez said, per Jimmy Stone at Charlton Athletic's website. "I can push on now."

Charlton Athletic held all the cards when Liverpool expressed their interest in Gomez:

• Gomez signed an extension.
• There was a precedent to work with as Charlton Athletic sold Danny Mills, at the time a 22-year-old right-back, to Leeds United for €6.3 million/£4.1 million in 1999.
• A tariff seemingly levied on English prospects = Gomez being a cash cow.

In theory, Charlton Athletic had leverage as they were sitting on a gold mine in Gomez.

Instead, Charlton Athletic relinquished Gomez to Liverpool for €4.9 million/£3.5 million.  

One possible reason why Liverpool signed Gomez cheaply was due to triggering a low release clause, per Liam Prenderville at the Daily Mirror and Neil Jones at the Liverpool Echo.

However, there are doubts over the existence of that clause as Charlton Athletic entered into a gentleman's agreement with Gomez to coax him into committing to the club last October.

Richard Cawley at the South London Press reported that "[Charlton Athletic] made a promise [to Gomez] that they would not stand in his way if an outstanding offer [was lodged]."

When Liverpool came calling for Gomez, Charlton Athletic upheld that vow.

• Winner: Liverpool and Gomez.
• Loser: Charlton Athletic.

Tempering the Hype

Here are six European talents categorised in alphabetical order.

1. Alexandre Silva (Portugal/Vitoria de Guimaraes): Transferred from Sporting Lisbon to Vitoria for first-team opportunities.

Stood out as a centre-forward with "agility" and "presented good off-the-ball movements," per Wyscout. 

He was a "mobile" No. 9 willing to function as a quasi-No. 11 to open up space, per UEFA's website.

2. Calvin Verdonk (Netherlands/Feyenoord): Undersized left-sided centre-back biding his time behind the partnership of Sven van Beek and Terence Kongolo.

Verdonk "is receiving much attention and generating high expectations but has to remain focused in his path," per Wyscout.

"[He showed] good diagonal passing from centre to flanks," per UEFA's website.

3. Enes Unal (Turkey/Bursaspor): The No. 9 averaged 9.6 minutes per Super Lig game this past season backing up Fernandao. 

Unal "was one of the best, if not the best, player for Turkey, adding some wonderful performances in his team's campaign," per Wyscout.

Turkey used a Unal-centric strategy "opting for direct lofted [passes]" to their target man, per UEFA's website.

4. Renato Sanches (Portugal/Benfica): Promising midfielder able to play as a No. 8 or No. 10. 

He shone due to his "technical quality" but needs to "work on his composure and concentration," per Wyscout. 

Renato "produced the creative touches which linked midfield with attack," per UEFA's website.

5. Ruben Neves (Portugal/Porto): Scouts are unanimous in projecting him as a once-in-a-generation defensive midfielder.

When he drops down to youth level, he has a monopoly.

Neves "executes well [on the ball] using short/long and inside/wide/through passes with [sheer] quality and unpredictability," per Wyscout.

He is a "midfield pivot [with] excellent passing [and] switches of play," per UEFA's website.

6. Ryan Ledson (England/Everton): Started in central midfield during Everton's 1-0 UEFA Europa League defeat to Krasnodar but has yet to be eased into the Premier League.

He is able to deliver "pinpoint passes to his team-mates at any distance," per Wyscout. "Ledson [was] the controlling midfielder dictating the tempo of [England's] passing game," per UEFA's website.

And...?

There were six players highlighted by Wyscout in their best XI plus hot prospects list of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying rounds who were also selected in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.

Gomez wasn't one of the six (he made the TOTM but was not flagged by Wyscout), so he divides opinions.

If Gomez is Ferdinand 2.0, why did he give away the ball 31.6 per cent of the time he attempted a pass?

Gomez's pass completion chart is too inconsistent and does not foreshadow an elite passing outlet from the back.

Adapted from Squawka

Gomez loses out in several metrics to Wolverhampton Wanderers' Dominic Iorfa. 

Either Iorfa, a 19-year-old English right-back, deserves a transfer to a Premier League club or Liverpool are over-projecting Gomez's upside. 

Probably the latter if you recall the likes of Daniel Ayala, Danny Wilson, Mikel San Jose, Ronald Huth and Sebastian Coates.

Championship 2014/15	Gomez	Iorfa
Games Played/Starting %	21/76.2	20/100
Tackles Per 90	1.8	3
Tackle Success %	81.1	98.3
Interceptions Per 90	2.2	1
Headers Won Per 90	2.7	2.5
Headers Won %	55.7	75.4
Passes Per 90	41.2	37.5
Pass Success %	68.4	70.7

Then again, Harry Redknapp's father was insistent on informing his son of Ferdinand's future greatness based on a snap judgement, per KICCA: 

"

[My dad calls me and says Ferdinand], a big tall boy, kept running [50 yards] with the ball, drifting past three or four players, gliding up the pitch.

I say: "Really!?"

[My dad] says: "Yeah. [Ferdinand] is the best I have seen in years."

I put the phone down. 10 minutes later, Tony Carr, the youth coach in charge of the West Ham United academy, [rings me and says] "... I played Rio Ferdinand."

[I say to Carr]: "Well, my dad rung me, and told me. I thought he had it wrong."

[Carr says]: "No, I played the kid Ferdinand. He was unbelievable."

We knew then we had a player—a special player on our hands.

"

Redknapp's father was vindicated as Ferdinand went on to become one of the Premier League's greatest-ever centre-backs.

Perhaps the eye test in a game of varying opinions is Liverpool's primary reason for signing Gomez.

+allanjiang.

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.