Liverpool FC are close to sign Charlton youngster Joe Gomez, with a deal set to be completed early next week as per reports by the Liverpool Echo.
Reds beat off competition for Manchester City, Arsenal FC and Borussia Dortmund to secure the highly rated youngster from Charlton.
A fee for the England U19 defender is yet to be agreed with Charlton, but discussions are ongoing with final details to be ironed out in the next few days. The deal is reportedly as good as done.
The Echo reports that Liverpool FC were hoping to sign Joe Gomez for an initial price of A?3.5m, but the transfer is expected to now go through at closer to A?6m. . The deal will also contain a number of performance-related add-ons.
The England U19 defender, who can play as both a right back or centre back, has been interesting a number of Premier League clubs, with Arsenal FC and Manchester City both regularly linked alongside Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
The reports says that an immediate loan back to Charlton, or another Championship club has been discussed with Gomeza s representatives, but player is confident he can prove himself worthy of Liverpoola s senior squad during pre-season at Anfield.
Joe Gomez himself is desperate to join Liverpool FC, and believes Anfield, under Brendan Rodgers, is the perfect place for him to develop as a player in the coming years.
Liverpool FC have tracked Joe Gomez for over three years according to the report and the player has not disappointed them, rejecting some big names like Arsenal FC, Manchester City, and Borussia Dortmund.
Joe Gomez was a part of England side which won the European U17 Championships last summer, and was named in the team of the tournament in the process.
His performances iearned him comparisons with former England star Rio Ferdinand, whom Gomez idolizes: “I always looked up to Ferdinand when I was younger because he was an English centre-back at the top level – plus he was a ball-playing one too,” Gomez said back in December.
Gomez has progressed quickly at Charlton, playing for the U18 side at the age of 14, and was given his senior debut by former boss Bob Peeters in a Capital One Cup tie against Colchester United last August.