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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Joe Gomez of Liverpool celebrates the teams victory and confirmation of winning the Premier League title after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

The England international is Liverpool’s longest-serving player, but he could have easily left the club last year.

Coming off the back of arguably his most impressive individual campaign for the Reds, he had made 51 appearances in Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign in charge as his form earned him an England recall.

Gomez was a member of the Three Lions squad that reached the Euro 2024 final, only to lose to Spain, but was left unused throughout by head coach Gareth Southgate.

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And it would emerge that during the tournament, his Liverpool career had come agonisingly close to a surprise end as a deal was agreed with Newcastle United for his services.

The Reds would have signed Anthony Gordon for £75m, with Gomez going the other way in a separate £45m deal.

However, the Magpies ultimately pulled the plug at the end of June.

With such a deal only being negotiated as they desperately tried to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, they ultimately managed to raise funds elsewhere so no longer had any hunger to sell Gordon.

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Now 12 months on, it would be no surprise if this time Gomez’s Liverpool career did come to an end after a frustrating campaign.

The last time the Reds won the Premier League title, the former Charlton Athletic youngster shone at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk.

And bottom of the pecking order, he would have to wait until the Champions League opener away to AC Milan one month later to belatedly earn his first minutes of the campaign.

The 28-year-old had featured for just 10 minutes across two substitute appearances in the Premier League, heading into November before he was thrust into action in place of the injured Ibrahima Konate at half-time at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Gomez rolled back the years to impress alongside Van Dijk, earning praise from Slot in the process.

And when Konate was struck down again against Real Madrid at the end of that, it was Gomez who leapt ahead of Jarell Quansah in the pecking order to benefit.

He started eight successive games, starting with a memorable 2-0 home victory over Manchester City, only for injury to cruelly rear its head as he was forced off with a hamstring injury away at West Ham United in the final game of 2024.

By this point, Gomez had already impressed enough to ensure his future had been a talking point heading towards January.

But when making his return from injury against Plymouth Argyle at the start of February, little did he know his campaign was about to come to a premature end.

Pulling up early on, he was forced off after just 11 minutes against the Pilgrims and later had to undergo surgery.

While he would return to training before the end of the season, and made the bench for the final two games of the campaign, Slot was ultimately unable to deliver after admitting he was hoping to hand the defender a comeback appearance on the final day of the season against Crystal Palace.

Gomez was sheepish when serenaded by supporters in front of the Kop when Liverpool celebrated winning the Premier League, having only made nine top-flight appearances - six of which were starts - all season.

And now his future is the subject of speculation once again.

Denied a would-be farewell appearance, it remains to be seen if limping off at Plymouth proves to be his final action in a Liverpool shirt.
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