Liverpool had a late deal agreed for a transfer exit last year, but another move collapsing prevented a switch for a long-serving star in the team

Former AC Milan chief Igli Tare has revealed that he had an agreement ready for Joe Gomez to join the Italian club, but Liverpool had to pull the plug on a deal due to another transfer collapsing.

The 29-year-old is among the longest-serving players in the team, having joined the club back in 2015 as a youth option from Charlton Athletic, where he showed plenty of promise.

In the team since, Gomez has risen the ranks to become a useful squad option for the Reds, playing a part in success during the Jurgen Klopp era, which included Premier League titles, Champions League triumph, and victories in the domestic cup competitions.

That has all come without the fanfare or spotlight that many others in the team receive, with the defender rarely being in the forefront, and often relied upon to do a job in a smaller capacity, but one that is still important to the overall success of the team.

With injuries being a major factor during Gomez's career, it's unclear whether a clean bill of health could have changed that to see him become a regular starter for Liverpool at the top level, but his time at Anfield has been appreciated anyway.

As the versatile star enters the final few months of his contract on Merseyside, there is no certainty about his future, and whether there may be the odd experience of seeing him in another jersey. However, that could have been a possibility at this stage, if it were not for a transfer switch collapsing.

Gomez appeared close to joining AC Milan last summer, which could have given him more chances to shine, but a move for Marc Guehi collapsed at the last moment, leaving Liverpool short of options. The 29-year-old stayed instead, in a moment that has had an impact on everyone involved in the deal since.

Tare, who was AC Milan's transfer chief until this summer, revealed that a deal was all but done at the time. As quoted by Calciomercato, he said: "Liverpool's Joe Gomez? Guehi's move from Crystal Palace to Liverpool fell through and at the last minute they backed out."

"We had the deal ready, we were just waiting for that deal to be finalized," he added, confirming that things could have been very different for both Guehi and Gomez.

It's unclear exactly how things would have turned out for all parties in that deal, but what has followed has been an interesting turn of events.

Liverpool missed out on Guehi and was left frustrated throughout last season with the lack of consistency at the back. However, that created space for the arrival of Jeremy Jacquet, who has impressed ever since joining the club, while his Man City counterpart has since struggled this campaign.

For Gomez, the allure of more opportunities may have been a key factor in his agreement to join AC Milan, but there is little sign of dissatisfaction since staying at Liverpool, with no deal agreed in the following two windows since that deal collapsed.

It remains to be seen whether he will look to stay on at Anfield in the future or not, with a decision that needs to be reached in the next few months, but his next path could change yet again.