Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted he would be “disappointed” to see his close friend Joe Gomez leave Anfield on transfer deadline day, with AC Milan circling for the defender.
The 28-year-old is the longest-serving member of the current Liverpool squad, having joined from Charlton Athletic in 2015. But his future has been the subject of mounting speculation in recent days, with Milan understood to be exploring the possibility of a late move for the versatile defender.
Reports in Italy suggest the Serie A giants are confident Gomez would be open to a switch to San Siro. Yet, Liverpool’s stance remains firm there are no plans to sanction a loan exit before the 7pm deadline, and no formal offer has arrived for a permanent transfer as of Monday morning.
Liverpool’s pursuit of England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace has only fuelled the uncertainty around Gomez. Negotiations are ongoing over a £35 million deal for the Palace captain, who is now in the final year of his contract.
There had been suggestions that Gomez could be used as a potential makeweight in talks, but Anfield sources have strongly dismissed that possibility. The club are clear that any move for Guehi must be a standalone deal, with Gomez not part of the equation.
The arrival of Guehi would give Arne Slot another top-level defensive option to compete with van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and summer recruit Giovanni Leoni. But Slot is equally reluctant to lose Gomez, whose versatility across the backline was underlined once again during Sunday’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Arsenal.
Gomez was introduced midway through the second half against after Konaté pulled up with cramp. Slot later revealed that Konaté’s withdrawal hopefully was precautionary but will have scans to confirm.
Van Dijk was quick to praise Gomez’s contribution in those circumstances.
“When he came on, in the circumstances that he is in, he was outstanding.
I speak to him quite a lot. I know it wasn’t easy but that says a lot about him as a person and a player. Only appreciation. He is a good friend of mine, as everyone knows, and I’m just very pleased for him that he could do it today.”
The Dutchman admitted he has a personal stake in the matter.
“Hopefully he can do a lot more for us this season. He is my friend so I want him to stay, of course, but it doesn’t work like that. I’m not the boss and it’s not a friendly business here. Let’s see what happens. Of course I want him to stay, but as a friend, as a player, let’s see.”
Slot has been impressed by Gomez’s willingness to adapt. The defender has featured sparingly so far this season, seeing just 18 minutes of Premier League action before the Arsenal clash, but his versatility at both centre-back and full-back remains highly prized.
Gomez’s role against Arsenal reflected that. Introduced in a pressurised environment, he brought composure and experience to a backline that was under sustained pressure, helping Liverpool see out another three points and extend their 100% record in the Premier League.
With Guehi talks ongoing, and Alexander Isak’s record-breaking £125 million switch from Newcastle almost completed, Liverpool are poised for a busy final few hours of the window.
But as things stand, Gomez is not expected to be sacrificed to make room. The club’s hierarchy value his experience, professionalism, and ability to fill multiple roles in the defensive unit.
Still, AC Milan’s interest is not going away. The Rossoneri are watching developments closely, and a late bid cannot be ruled out. Much may depend on whether Liverpool can get Guehi over the line before the 7pm cut-off.
For Van Dijk, however, the hope is simple that Gomez remains by his side at Anfield for at least another season.
Liverpool return to action against Burnley at Turf Moor after the international break, by which point the squad will be finalised.
