Liverpool will need to add a back-up goalkeeper to their transfer list if the latest report on Caoimhin Kelleher is on the mark.
Football Insider reports that the club is expecting the Irish international to ask for a transfer in his quest for regular first-team football.
Having a reserve goalkeeper of great quality is something of a double-edged sword as it keeps the number one on their toes and if there is a drop off in form, an injury or suspension then the manager is safe in the knowledge that the gap is not too big.
But when that senior goalkeeper is as good as Alisson Becker, it means opportunities are extremely thin on the ground.
There is little doubt that Kelleher would be the No 1 goalkeeper in the majority of Premier League clubs, indeed he may well be the best reserve goalkeeper in Europe at this point of time.
But the truth of the matter is that the 24 year-old deserves to be playing a lot more than he is especially as he wants to grow his game at domestic as well as at a international level.
Kelleher was outstanding as Liverpool defeated Chelsea on penalties in the League Cup final last season, but unfortunately for him, that was to be his last senior outing for this season.
And in this campaign, opportunities have been even more thin on the ground with Liverpool exiting in the early stages of the domestic cup competitions (three appearances in total.)
The current contract of Kelleher runs out in three years time means any sale will land the club a handy fee.
The unflappable nature of Kelleher is what really stands out about him as a keeper and that is one element that you can’t really teach.
His attention to detail is outstanding and a case in point is the fact that in November after a win against Derby, he became the Liverpool goalkeeper with most penalty shootout victories (four) and most shootout saves (six) in the club’s history.
Klopp has never been one to hold a player back if they feel there is a better opportunity around, and this is especially the case with Kelleher.
He is a unabashed fan of the Irishman’s qualities and in a perfect world would love to keep him around, but he knows that he is too good to be spending his days watching on from the sidelines.
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