Murphy would love to see Premier League runners-up Liverpool sign Ajax captain De Ligt but he is worried about Joe Gomez’s Anfield future.
Liverpool hero Danny Murphy believes Matthijs de Ligt would be an ‘incredible’ addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad, speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (13 May, 11.30am), but he is worried about the impact this could have on Joe Gomez’s development.
At the age of just 19, De Ligt has established himself as one of the finest defenders on the continent on the back of an exceptional season at Ajax.
The teenage Dutchman captained the Amsterdam giants to the Champions League semi-finals and they are now just one win away from winning the Eredivisie title for the first time in 2014.
Barcelona are expected to win the race for De Ligt but, according to Mundo Deportivo, the La Liga champions are worried that Liverpool will leave them red faced again by swooping in to steal the coveted defender from under their nose.
And while Murphy believes that De Ligt would form a formidable partnership with Dutch international team-mate Virgil van Dijk, he has warned Liverpool not to forget about England starlet Gomez.
“What a player (De Ligt) is. (But) are we forgetting how good Gomez was next to Van Dijk earlier in the season? They’d be kicking him in the teeth if they go and sign De Ligt,” Murphy said.
“He’d be incredible. Can you imagine (De Ligt and Van Dijk)? My god.”
Gomez is a defender with huge potential but his injury record cannot be overlooked. He has missed 97 games for Liverpool since he joined from Charlton Athletic in 2015 and only recently recovered from a broken ankle.
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