Joe Gomez has cast doubt over his future at Liverpool by admitting he 'doesn't know' if he will be at the club next season. The 28-year-old defender is entering the final year of his contract with the Reds, who have already secured a new centre-back for the summer.
Gomez opens door to exit
Liverpool finalised a deal worth up to £60 million in January for Jeremy Jacquet, who will arrive from French side Rennes this summer. With fellow defender Ibrahima Konate in talks over a new contract and Giovanni Leoni set to return to training in pre-season, Gomez is likely to drop further down the pecking order and find playing time even harder to come by.
The former Charlton Athletic star has been at Liverpool since 2015, joining for £3.5 million, but his time on Merseyside has been plagued by injuries. Gomez was close to leaving Anfield last summer before a move for Marc Guehi fell through, while AC Milan and Newcastle United have previously expressed interest.
Gomez: 'I don't know'
With Jacquet arriving in a matter of weeks, Gomez is considering his future once more. After coming on as a substitute during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, he admitted: 'I think anything can happen. I don't know is the honest answer.'
'I've only got a year left on my contract, so I don't know. Whatever's meant to be will be, but I'm so grateful to have had this time here at this club. I always will be grateful to have had 11 years at a place like this. All I can do is be thankful and we'll see.'
Disappointing campaign
If this is to be his 11th and final season with the Reds, it will not be one that Gomez remembers fondly. Liverpool failed to defend the Premier League title and did not win a cup. The manner of their draw with Chelsea, in which they threw away an early lead, summed up their disappointing campaign.
Arne Slot's side were booed off at the final whistle, and Gomez understands the fans' anger. 'I guess it just is a summary of our year and it's just a reaction to the whole year, and that's fair enough,' he added.
'The fans pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us and they're entitled to show their frustration, in the same way they cheer us. Fundamentally, the supporters want to see us give it all, but that is on the ball trying to play progressive football, trying to be intense, but also off the ball, put a foot in, try and win a tackle.'
'That's just what is expected of us and being passive in any sense is not what I know and no one wants to see. It is just trying to just implement that, day in, day out, but it's not easy at the same time.'
'You can't undermine that. This place (Anfield) comes with a lot of expectation and pressure and that takes time to understand and really get a full picture of. We have to just do our best to rally around each other and try to get the boys' heads in the right direction. There's frustrations and there's been plenty of voices and discussions and meetings from different people - staff, players.'
'It's a black and white thing now: we need Champions League football, that's the objective. We get that. We dust ourselves off and we go again and just go into the next year and have a good start.'
