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Brendan Rodgers’ decision to start Joe Gomez, an 18-year-old right-footed centre half, at left back finally caught up with the manager on Saturday. In an exceptionally narrow formation that required Gomez to get up and down the pitch like a winger, Gomez struggled. Liverpool had no width on his side. West Ham targeted him on the counter. It ended badly.
It might be enough to convince Rodgers it would make sense to actually start a left back, but rumour has it Liverpool could be about to lose the man who probably should have started the season for them in the position—and at the very least should have started on the weekend. It may seem a stretch, but rumour has it Alberto Moreno could be on the move in the next 24 hours. To Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Having just sent Fabio Coentrao off to Monaco on loan, Los Blancos are in need to a left back to back up Marcelo, and reports in Tuttomercato citing sources in Spain claim that as he frequently impressed Madrid’s scouts during his time at Sevilla, there is a good chance that left back will be Moreno. And a choice between playing second fiddle at Anfield or the Bernabeau seems an easy one for the player.
Had Moreno been starting for Liverpool this season as most expected he would be after a promising if uneven first year, the young fullback might be less inclined to embrace a move where he would clearly be arriving at a new club as back up. At Liverpool, though, the manager has so far this year preferred a younger player out of position to him, so if an offer were to arrive, Moreno would be expected to jump at it.
Stuck behind an 18-year-old right-footed centre half at Liverpool or in Madrid thinking an injury or poor run of form could give him the chance to lock down a role on Real’s left flank. It’s hardly a choice. Though as yet, the rumours of interest remain just that: rumours of interest. With only a day to go in the transfer window, things would have to escalate quickly for it to amount to anything more.
