Reported Liverpool target Fikayo Tomori was ‘disappointing’ for AC Milan in last night’s Champions League semi-final.
That’s the view of Reds legend Steven Gerrard. Tomori has been tentatively linked with a move to Anfield this summer, as Liverpool start to prepare for life after Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk.
On the big stage for Milan against rivals Inter last night, it was a great opportunity for the England man to put himself in the spotlight. But speaking during coverage of the game for BT Sport, Gerrard suggested that Tomori hadn’t lived up to the hype.
“Rio, I was just wondering what your thoughts were on the two centre-backs for AC Milan,” he asked fellow pundit Rio Ferdinand.
“We obviously gave the big build up to Tomori before the game, all eyes would have been on him tonight. I’m sure Gareth Southgate was watching him as well. What was your opinion on his performance? We were slightly disappointed, we wanted him to perform and really step forward tonight and take the opportunity, but we thought he struggled at times again.”
With Ferdinand also echoing Gerrard’s thoughts, it doesn’t sound like Tomori did himself justice in the San Siro.
Tomori fails audition on the big stage
With Liverpool looking to bring in home-grown options this summer, Tomori isn’t a bad shout. Since leaving Chelsea in 2021, his star has been on the rise in Italy.
Having won a Scudetto with Milan last season, he looked primed to take his place in England’s World Cup squad. But – to much social media outrage – Gareth Southgate eventually left him at home. For many, that was the wrong decision.
As Gerrard and Ferdinand’s words here show though, there was some cause for Southgate’s decision. Tomori has often struggled when under the lights in the Champions League. He didn’t have the best of times against Tottenham in this year’s round of 16 and gave away a sloppy goal to Divock Origi against Liverpool last year.
As a result, if the Reds really are watching him closely, this may be something they’re concerned with. If Liverpool bring in a centre-back this summer, it should be with the remit of replacing Van Dijk in the long-term.
Right now, you have to say that Tomori looks nowhere near good enough to do that. In fairness, there’ll be few players out there who can fill the Dutchman’s shoes. But either way, the Milan man isn’t one of them.
Having said that, for the right price and as a squad option, Tomori would still probably be a decent addition. Still relatively young and with a higher ceiling to reach, he could yet prove Gerrard, Ferdinand and the rest wrong.
All eyes will once again be on him in next week’s return leg.
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