Virgil van Dijk urges Liverpool to keep Joe Gomez amid transfer links

Virgil Van Dijk has urged Liverpool not to let Joe Gomez leave on deadline day.

Defender Gomez has been linked with a move away from Anfield, especially if a Reds raid on Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi comes to fruition.

There have even been suggestions the 28-year-old could be used as a potential makeweight in a deal for England centre-half Guehi.

But Gomez showed his quality in a substitute appearance during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Arsenal, and Reds captain Van Dijk is adamant his fellow defender should stay.

“It’s a very good question, because when he came on in the circumstances he is in personally, he was outstanding,” said Van Dijk.

“Obviously I speak to him quite a lot, so I know it wasn’t easy, but that says a lot about him as a person, as a player, only appreciation.

“He’s a good friend of mine, I’m just pleased for him that he could do it today. Let’s see, hopefully he can do a lot more for us this season.

“He’s my friend, of course I want him to stay. But it doesn’t work like that. I’m not the boss. It’s not a friendly business. It’s the highest world that we live in.

“Let’s see what happens. Of course I want him to stay, as a friend and as a player.”

Van Dijk was involved in his own deadline-day drama in 2015 when he joined Southampton from Celtic.

But this year he will be an interested onlooker to see if Liverpool make 11th-hour bids for Guehi and long-time target Alexander Isak of Newcastle.

“I’ve been in an interesting one a few years ago,” he added. “But other than that, tomorrow morning (Monday) I leave early to go to Holland.

“When I’m done after 6ish I’ll probably know if anything is happening here. If not we crack on.”