As many as five Premier League teams have expressed an interest in signing Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, according to a report.
The 27-year-old has been a loyal servant to the Reds for the past nine years and has now racked up 224 appearances for the Merseyside giants, setting up nine goals in the process.
A severe knee injury in late 2020 hampered Gomez's development, but the England international worked his way back up Jurgen Klopp's latter and played a pivotal role in the German's farewell campaign.
Gomez provided three assists in 51 matches across all tournaments last term and appeared in 32 Premier League games, making 17 starts and impressing as an emergency left-back while Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas were out injured.
The 27-year-old's renaissance also caught the eye of former England head coach Gareth Southgate, who included him in the Three Lions' Euro 2024 squad, although he was an unused substitute throughout the tournament.
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Aston Villa, Newcastle United 'among clubs' interested in Gomez
Gomez is yet to earn his baptism under Arne Slot due to his post-Euros holiday, but as he is able to feature in all three positions across the backline, he would be an incredibly useful asset to the Dutchman.
The Englishman still has another three years left to run on his Anfield contract, but there have been suggestions that he is open to an exit this summer in search of regular first-team football.
According to HITC, Reds boss Slot will be unable to guarantee Gomez such opportunities next season, as Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Robertson remain the first-choice defensive quartet.
While the Dutchman is happy to continue working with the 27-year-old next term, Gomez is instead keen to leave, and a quintet of Premier League sides are now battling one another for his services.
Which Premier League clubs are competing to sign Gomez?
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Newcastle United were memorably linked with a swoop for Gomez while Liverpool were attempting to sign Anthony Gordon, and the defender was apparently left 'perturbed' when he was offered to the Magpies as part of a deal.
Eddie Howe's side are supposedly still interested in the versatile defender, as are Aston Villa, who will be able to offer Gomez Champions League football for the 2024-25 campaign.
However, the former Charlton Athletic youngster is thought to be keen to head back down to London and could do so with either West Ham United, Brentford or Crystal Palace.
Liverpool paid Charlton just £4.2m to sign Gomez in the summer of 2015, and the Reds are allegedly hoping to make a tenfold profit of around £45m to sell him in the coming weeks.
Ben Knapton
