Liverpool urged to sign John Stones after Gomez withdrawal highlights defensive depth concerns

Liverpool’s defensive depth chart is starting to look less like a plan and more like a wish list. Joe Gomez’s withdrawal from match action has reignited calls for the club to pursue Manchester City’s John Stones, an experienced England international who has already confirmed he’ll leave the Etihad at the end of the 2025/26 season. No official bid or formal approach has been made. But the conversations happening around Anfield right now tell you everything about where the club’s most urgent needs lie. The Gomez problem Joe Gomez’s situation at Liverpool has become one of those slow-burning storylines that suddenly catches fire. His withdrawal from recent matches has forced the club’s hand in terms of defensive planning, and the timing could hardly be worse, with preseason preparations for a demanding 2026/27 campaign already underway. Gomez is entering the final year of his contract. That’s the kind of detail that transforms a tactical inconvenience into a full-blown strategic headache. When your backup center-back is simultaneously injured and potentially walking out the door for free, you don’t have a depth problem. You have two problems wearing the same jersey number. Why Stones ...