Joe Gomez, a defender for Liverpool, has disclosed that he unexpectedly had the chance to sign with RB Leipzig prior to joining the Reds in the summer of 2015.
Despite interest from multiple teams, Liverpool paid $4.3 million (£3.5 million/€4.1 million) to sign Gomez. Since then, Gomez has been a key component of Liverpool’s success, most notably by combining with Virgil van Dijk to form a potent attacking duo during the team’s title-winning season in 2019–20.
The 26-year-old’s situation might have been different, though, if he had accepted Leipzig’s offer.
On the Total Media podcast, Gomez discussed his experience, saying: “In January [2015], I visited Red Bull Leipzig. They were still in the Bundesliga 2 even though I had barely played for half a season. They are a fantastic club, but I wasn’t prepared when they joined. My dad and my missus weren’t feeling it, and I went with my mother. I was aware that I wasn’t prepared, yet the chance arose.
“If you play in Germany [now], chances are you’re returning. For me, there weren’t many instances like it at the time. I might think, “Wow, this is the way,” today.
Other teams displayed interest in signing Gomez during the summer transfer window after he rejected Leipzig. The team that ultimately won him over was Liverpool. Gomez admitted that the three primary candidates he thought about were Liverpool, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa. Each team had its own distinctive charm, but his encounter with Brendan Rodgers, the club’s then manager, made a lasting effect.
“In the summer, there was Liverpool, Bournemouth and Villa, those were the three main options,” Gomez said. It was a significant choice at the time, and Bournemouth had Eddie Howe, a terrific gaffer, so they are basically contrasting roots. After meeting Brendan, I developed a special heart for Liverpool. It had warmth to it as a club. Brendan was a likeable man when I first met him.
The appropriate choice was made by Gomez to join Liverpool. He has experienced significant success, including winning the UEFA Champions League in 2019. He has also grown to be an essential member of the team’s defensive unit.