Liverpool star confirms he was close to leaving

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has confirmed that he was close to leaving the club during the summer transfer window.

The centre-back's future was frequently speculated over the summer and Newcastle United were one of those interested in signing him.

The Reds tried to negotiate a swap deal involving Anthony Gordon and Gomez, but ultimately nothing materialised between the sides.

Gomez has now acknowledged that he was close to leaving the Merseyside giants, but he is pleased to have made the decision to stay put.

He said: "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."

The Englishman started the campaign as a regular on the bench, but he has recently started back-to-back games with Ibrahima Konate's injury.

Gomez is likely to return to the bench when Konate returns to action. We won't be surprised if he contemplates an exit at the end of the season.