It seemed plausible that Joe Gomez would seek an exit out of Liverpool given the mountain that awaits him in beating out competition from Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip to be Virgil van Dijk’s bolt-on defensive partner once more.
Despite admitting that reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Aston Villa (amongst ‘any interest’) ‘is flattering’, the Englishman could only see a future with the Reds.
“I can’t dispute I heard about these rumours,” the 25-year-old told chief Liverpool writer Ian Doyle at the Echo. “But until things are concrete with my representatives, I take it all with a pinch of salt.
“Any interest is flattering, but I don’t really see it like as that much of a distraction because until I make my decision, the external noise is just that – external.
“Once I got my head around what I wanted to do, my signing is me understanding the challenge and wanting to rise to it.”
The former Charlton Athletic prospect committed his long-term future to the club, signing a deal keeping him at L4 until the summer of 2027.
It leaves Jurgen Klopp in a more than enviable position when it comes to his centre-half options, particularly when one considers the horrors of the injury crisis enduring during the 2020/21 campaign.
When one takes into account the bolstering of the right-back spot with Calvin Ramsay and the midfield and forward line with Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez respectively, it would appear that there is sufficient depth running through the squad ahead of the next season.
To not take the ‘easy’ way out and secure an exit speaks a lot about Gomez’s character and why he remains a sound member of our German tactician’s squad.