£85k-a-week Liverpool star claims Real Madrid wanted to sign him this summer

Liverpool's Joe Gomez has revealed he had interest from Real Madrid before he signed his new long-term contract deal.

Gomez, 25, has endured a frustrating few seasons with regular appearances a rarity.

His future was in doubt before he put pen to paper on a new deal worth £85k a week which will keep him at the club until 2027.

However, he revealed interest from other clubs in what he described as a 'crossroads' point of his career.

Gomez here to fight for his place

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in an exclusive interview, he revealed how close he came to leaving amid interest from some top clubs:

“I can understand why people would have thought I’d be considering moving on, for sure, 100%,” says Gomez.

"Fundamentally, the opportunity that I have here and the platform and the chance to be at this club is one that is hard to walk away from.

"Essentially, it was me accepting the fact I have got to take on the challenge.”

On links with Real Madrid and other clubs

Gomez had been linked with Liverpool's Champions League conquerors in Real Madrid as well as Aston Villa - links that Gomez claimed were 'flattering'.

“I can’t dispute I heard about these rumours,” he says. “But until things are concrete with my representatives, I take it all with a pinch of salt. Any interest is flattering, but I don’t really see it as that much of a distraction because until I make my decision, the external noise is just that – external.

"Once I got my head around what I wanted to do, my signing is me understanding the challenge and wanting to rise to it."

That challenge will be displacing one of either Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate - both who have been front and centre for Liverpool last season and beyond (in Matip's case)

"We probably have THE best in Virg, and Joel and Ibou are unbelievable as they showed last season." Gomez stated. “Generally we are good friends and it gives us the platform to want the team to do well. But because it’s a friendly environment it allows us to strive and not feel any animosity."

“We have great role models in front of us,” he says of the Dutchman and Matip. “They are both obviously very experienced now and still at the top of their game, and have prime years ahead of them."