"It was definitely for real" - Joe Gomez says he was really close to leaving Liverpool in last summer's transfer window

Joe Gomez has revealed that he came very close to leaving Liverpool in the 2024 summer transfer window after a period of uncertainty over his future. The England international was considered dispensable in the summer by the Reds, leading to talk of a potential exit from the club.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot named Gomez in the starting lineup for a third successive match against Girona on December 10. The Englishman partnered Virgil van Dijk and kept a clean sheet in their 1-0 UEFA Champions League win. The 27-year-old sat down with The Athletic to discuss the journey so far at the club, and he touched on nearly leaving the club in the summer.

“I was close to leaving Liverpool last summer, it was definitely for real. But my focus was always on the club. I know how blessed I am to be here. It will be 10 years next summer. I don’t take that for granted. I love Liverpool,” Gomez said (via Fabrizio Romano).

As per The Athletic, the centre-back was set to join Newcastle United for £45 million in June, with Anthony Gordon to move the other way. The Magpies were seeking a solution to their PSR issues. However, they managed to raise money by selling other players and pulled out of the deal, leaving Gomez to stay at Anfield.

Gomez has been the beneficiary of a recent knee injury to Ibrahima Konate, which will keep the Frenchman sidelined for a considerable amount of time. The English defender, who joined the Reds from Charlton Athletic in 2015, was a fringe player at the start of the season. He was part of the England squad to Euro 2024 and returned for pre-season late, leaving him out of the manager's plans for a while.

Joe Gomez has had to battle through adversity at Liverpool, playing all across the backline under Jürgen Klopp. With 11 appearances to his name this season 235 in total for the club, the centre-back remains contracted to the club until 2027.

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Liverpool star urged to join rivals as transfer pressure mounts

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been urged to swap Merseyside for London and sign for Chelsea in the summer of 2025. The future of the 26-year-old goalkeeper has been a topic of discussion in the media following his performances this season.

Pundit Jason McAteer is in agreement with people saying Robert Sanchez is a problem for Chelsea, and he has proposed Kelleher as a solution. Speaking with beIN Sports, the pundit advised the goalkeeper to move to the Blues to feature more regularly. He said (via Metro):

"I think Caoimhin got to the point in his career now where he’s going to have to make a big choice at the end of the season. If he wants a career somewhere else and play rather than just sit on the bench waiting to get in to play in a number of games for Liverpool.

"Chelsea is the big one. [Robert] Sanchez, I don’t think he’s… no. I think you should get Caoimhin [Kelleher] now."

Kelleher has made 12 appearances for the Reds this season, all of them coming while Alisson was out injured. The Brazilian goalkeeper returned against Girona, relegating the Northern Irishman to the bench once more. With Giorgi Mamardashvili also set to join the club in the summer, Kelleher may have to leave.