Liverpool's stance on Joe Gomez has been made clear following his omission from Arne Slot's matchday squad for Saturday's victory over Ipswich Town .
The versatile defender was a notable absentee from the 2-0 victory at Portman Road as Slot's men got off to the perfect start in their Premier League opener after goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah .
The 27-year-old was nowhere to be seen in Suffolk, having been left out of the 20-man traveling squad by Slot as questions continue to swirl over his long-term future at Anfield . Gomez has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and could still seal a departure over the next few weeks.
The England international, who only returned to first-team training at the start of last week , has been afforded extra time to figure out his next move by Slot, who is still keen on keeping the player at the club regardless.
According to the ECHO , Liverpool is not looking to actively sell the player and will leave the decision to Gomez, with Slot happy for him to fight his way back into contention this season.
Gomez had featured off the bench in last week's 4-1 victory over Sevilla at Anfield , yet it was Jarell Quansah who was selected to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the defense against Ipswich, with Ibrahima Konate named on the bench.
Gomez, who is the longest-serving player at Liverpool, had been included as part of a deal that would have brought Anthony Gordon from Newcastle earlier this summer , only for the Magpies to pull the plug on the deal.
Since then, there has been reported interest from Chelsea and Bayern Munich , while Aston Villa and Fulham are also believed to be potential suitors for the defender, who is comfortable playing anywhere across the back four.
Should Gomez fail to seal a departure from Anfield before the transfer window closes on August 30, then it's believed he will be welcomed back into Slot's plans with open arms as the Dutchman remains keen on keeping him among his ranks.
Also missing from Saturday's trip to Ipswich were defenders Sepp van den Berg and Nat Phillips, midfielder Tyler Morton and young wingers Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon . Goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros was also left out of the matchday squad but did make the trip to Suffolk and warmed up with fellow goalkeepers Alisson Becker and Caoimhin Kelleher .
As things stand, Liverpool is expected to try and shift five players out the door before the transfer window closes , including Van den Berg, Phillips and Morton, as well as fellow Academy graduates Rhys Williams and Owen Beck.
Slot's omission of Van den Berg, in particular, further suggests that the Dutchman could soon be moved on as he looks to find regular first-team football elsewhere . Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven are keen but have already had a bid of around $13m (£10m/€11.7m) rejected by the Reds, who are holding out for double that price.
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