AC Milan’s interest is real — but the price looks light
File this under familiar summer themes: a versatile Premier League defender attracting continental interest at a bargain fee. Reports in Italy say AC Milan have sounded out a move for Joe Gomez at around €15 million. That figure turns heads, but for Liverpool it’s unlikely to move the needle.
Gomez is under contract at Anfield until 2027 and, across last season, he became the catch‑all solution to Liverpool’s injury gaps. He covered both full-back spots, tucked in at centre-back, and even stepped into hybrid roles when Arne Slot’s staff asked for tactical tweaks. For a squad chasing trophies on multiple fronts, a player who can reliably cover three positions isn’t a luxury — it’s a safety net.
Milan’s logic tracks. Paulo Fonseca prefers a back four that builds cleanly from the first line. He wants defenders who can defend space and play through pressure. Gomez ticks those boxes: quick across the ground, comfortable carrying the ball out, and mentally sharp in transition moments. Milan also need depth. With Simon Kjær gone and injuries biting last year, the Rossoneri spent long stretches juggling centre-back partnerships. Adding a right-footed defender who can also back up Davide Calabria at right-back is sensible squad construction.
The sticking point is valuation. A sub-€20m number for a 27-year-old England international who just logged heavy minutes in a Champions League-return season feels out of step with today’s market. Premier League clubs price in homegrown status and replacement costs. Liverpool, in particular, tend to sell at peak leverage or not at all — especially when the player is central to their tactical flexibility.
What Liverpool will weigh up — and what a move would mean
Context matters here. Liverpool’s defensive picture has shifted over the past 18 months. Joel Matip departed, Jarell Quansah stepped up quicker than expected, and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hybrid role still asks a lot from the opposite full-back. Andy Robertson remains first-choice at left-back, but the drop-off behind him, when injuries pile up, is steep. That’s why Gomez’s minutes ballooned — he’s the plug that fits almost any hole.
Under Arne Slot, the build-up is structured, the press is aggressive, and the back line holds a high starting position. That places a premium on defenders who can defend the channel one‑v‑one, recover in transition, and pass under pressure. Gomez has done all three. Off the ball, his recovery pace protects the space behind an advancing full-back. On it, he’s tidy enough to bait a press and slide passes into midfield. Those are not easily replaceable traits.
There’s also the cold reality of the market. Even if Liverpool sanctioned a sale, replacing Gomez would likely cost significantly more than €15m once you factor in age, wages, adaptation risk, and Premier League tax. The club’s revamped structure — Michael Edwards overseeing football operations and Richard Hughes as sporting director — has been clear about asset value and succession planning. Selling a multiposition defender at a discount would run counter to how they’ve rebuilt the squad’s balance.
From Milan’s side, the profile is right and the strategy is familiar. RedBird’s model leans toward opportunistic, age‑profiled buys that can hold or grow value. Gomez, at 27, sits at the top end of that range but still within it. He would slot as a starting‑calibre option at right centre-back, compete for minutes at right-back, and raise the defensive floor in a squad that wants to press higher and keep games in the opponent’s half.
So what would need to happen for this to move? Three big levers usually decide these cross‑league moves:
- Valuation: Offers would have to reflect contract length and the cost to replace him. A cut-price number won’t land.
- Pathway to minutes: If Liverpool recruit another defender or shift a full-back role, Gomez’s minutes could be squeezed, making an exit more realistic.
- Player preference: Gomez has fought back from serious injuries to reestablish himself. If a guaranteed starting role abroad appeals, that can change the tone of talks.
Gomez’s history is part of the calculus. He’s had tough injury spells in the past, but his recent run of consistent minutes eased some concerns clubs held a few years ago. Recruiters will still look closely at medicals, but the broader picture now tilts toward reliability. He’s also shown he can adapt to different managers and systems — a valuable signal for any club considering an import from the Premier League.
There’s a tactical nuance here too. Fonseca’s full-backs often step inside to help progression, leaving centre-backs to defend wide spaces. Gomez has experience shuttling into those channels and winning duels on the move, not just in a set block. In matches where Milan face low blocks and need more on‑ball value, he can play as a conservative full-back to balance Theo Hernández’s surges on the opposite flank. That blend makes him more than just depth — he’s a lever Fonseca could pull to change game states without changing shape.
Back in England, the homegrown factor looms large. Gomez counts toward Premier League quotas, and those spots are expensive. Lose one, and you often need to sign another — or promote a youngster before he’s truly ready. With Liverpool back in the Champions League and juggling domestic cups, that risk is hard to justify unless the fee reaches a point where reinvestment becomes straightforward.
Where does this leave the situation? Milan testing the waters at €15m is smart business — sometimes a low opening bid flushes out the real price. But unless numbers climb meaningfully, Liverpool’s stance is predictable: thanks, but no thanks. The defender has become a core piece of their week‑to‑week problem‑solving, and letting that go cheap would create a hole they’d need two signings to patch.
As for the wider market, interest beyond Milan is no surprise. A 27-year-old who can play both full-back roles and centre-back, with Champions League and title-race experience, is the kind of profile mid‑to‑top clubs in England, Italy, and Spain monitor every window. Whether any of them push beyond monitoring into serious bids will come down to the same equation: can they meet Liverpool’s valuation, and can they offer Gomez the kind of role that makes a move worth it?
Until one of those variables shifts, expect this story to sit in the “admiration from afar” pile — a good fit on paper, a tricky deal in practice, and a player whose value to his current club runs higher than a headline fee suggests.
