Liverpool will not stand in the way of Inter Milan's interest in Lucas Leiva due to the Brazilian's loyal service to the club and the fact Joe Gomez is considered to be ready for the second half of the season, a source has told ESPN FC.
Lucas, 29, is being eyed up by the Serie A side, whose interest "could take a couple of forms" in regards to a loan move or a permanent deal, according to a source.
Liverpool's position on letting Lucas leave will be influenced by manager Jurgen Klopp seeing young defender Gomez as the "real deal" and fully fit after recently recovering from a 13-month layoff.
The 19-year-old has been building up his match fitness with Liverpool's under-23s side of late, and Klopp believes he will be ready for first-team action in the second half of the campaign.
A source said that Liverpool will look kindly on Inter's approach for Lucas due to the service he has given the Merseyside outfit since his arrival from Gremio in July 2007 and the opportunity presented to the player, given his age and the Italian side's standing in European football.
Lucas -- a defensive midfielder by trade -- turned down a big-money move to Turkey this summer as the Reds needed him to cover in the heart of the defence, while Gomez was still on the road to recovery.
Gomez, who joined Liverpool summer in the 2015 from Charlton Athletic, began his career at Anfield as a left-back, but is now considered to be a centre-half by Klopp and the rest of Liverpool's coaching staff.
Having already made one sacrifice for Liverpool this term, Liverpool will not stand in Lucas' way and all the indications point towards a deal being struck to benefit all parties.
Lucas is currently Liverpool's longest-serving player but has been limited to just six starts in all competitions this season.
