Liverpool defender Joe Gomez emerges as top target for Champions League rival

Defender Joe Gomez has just a year remaining on his contract with Liverpool and it appears that he could be on the way to another Premier League club this summer

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has ‘emerged as a target’ for Premier League rivals Aston Villa as he edges towards an Anfield exit. The centre-back has just a year remaining on his contract at Anfield and an exit seems to be the most likely route for the defender.

And Gomez won’t be short of admirers should he decide to leave Merseyside. Aston Villa are reportedly interested in him as they attempt to bolster their squad ahead of an upcoming Champions League campaign.

According to Mail Online, the Midlands side have not yet made an official approach but Villa chiefs are a big fan of his versatility and would be tempted to swoop should the price be right.

It is also reported that Besiktas and AC Milan are interested, albeit the latter’s overhaul of their backroom team could make a move difficult. Gomez, 29, joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic in 2015 and he has gone on to make 274 appearances for the club but is yet to score a goal.

Speaking earlier this season, he put his future with the club in doubt. He said: "I think anything can happen. I don’t know is the honest answer. I’ve only got a year left on my contract, so I don’t know.

"Whatever’s meant to be will be, but I’m so grateful to have had this time here at this club. I always will be grateful to have had 11 years at a place like this. All I can do is be thankful and we’ll see."

Should he leave, Gomez would become the latest long-serving player to choose to depart this summer. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are both exiting at the end of their respective deals and played their final games for the club at the weekend against Brentford.

Salah has yet to confirm where he will be playing next, albeit it appears that Robertson will remain in the Premier League. Reports have suggested that the Scottish defender is edging towards a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Robertson agreed a deal with the North London side some time ago but waited until they had confirmed their place in the top flight. Liverpool boss Arne Slot has already suggested that there could be more major arrivals at the club this summer.

The Reds have already been linked with a move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande but they could face serious competition from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.