Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez has been tipped to shine at Newcastle United if a potential shock move goes through in January.

The Lowdown: Gomez struggling for playing time

The 24-year-old's 2020/21 season was ruined by a serious knee injury and he has struggled to get going this time around, too.

Gomez is currently sidelined with a separate issue but he wasn't featuring prominently before his latest absence, appearing for just 13 minutes in the Premier League.

The England international has been linked with a 'shock' move away from Liverpool in January and Eddie Howe could view him as an option to come in.

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The Latest: Pundit talks up Newcastle move

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Gomez could make a huge impact at St James' Park but has doubts about it coming to fruition:

"You’ve seen already that Zouma has been allowed to leave Chelsea. You never say never but it would be a shock.

"There are teams out there that need centre-half replacements. I’m looking at Newcastle for one.

"You could probably build a team around him at centre-half. He’s an amazing player and could be one of the pieces that Eddie Howe is looking for.

"But look, I mean, Joe Gomez seems to sort of player that wants to fight for his place before anything else. He’ll only think about his future Liverpool if he’s not required."

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The Verdict: Surely Klopp won't sell

Gomez will find it hard to become a regular at Liverpool in the near future, given the presence of both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, but it would still be a huge surprise if he was allowed to leave.

The Reds' centre-back injury crisis last season shows that having as many good options as possible is vital, as Klopp's men look to win both the Premier League and Champions League.

Not only that but Van Dijk and Matip are now 30 years of age - six years Gomez's senior - so he may well be looked at as the future of Liverpool's back-line, along with Ibrahima Konate.

It wasn't long ago that he was Van Dijk's main partner, starting 22 out of 38 league games in the title-winning season, so he will surely still be seen as an important figure moving forward, assuming he is the same player after injury.

In other news, another Liverpool player could also leave in January. Find out who it is here.