Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is reportedly keen for a move to Liverpool in a back-up role with Simon Mignolet set to move on from the club in the summer.
The Belgian shot stopper is looking for first team opportunities and it is believed that the club will help Mignolet achieve that goal.
The Evening Standard and Daily Mail both report that the Reds are keen on McCarthy to provide competition for Alisson.
While McCarthy is yet to turn 30, he has been well travelled in his career to date, going on a number of loan spells when he was on the books at Reading.
McCarthy famously produced a man of the match performance for The Royals against the Reds in Brendan Rodgers' first season when he made ten saves in a 0-0 draw.
But it was not until he made the move to the south coast where he truly started to find his feet in his own right.
McCarthy claimed the fans player of the year for the 2017/8 season and was also honoured by his teammates by picking up the Players' player of the season.
This was despite the gloveman only playing half the season, after replacing Fraser Forster as the number one.
McCarthy's subsequent form for the Saints won him international recognition and he picked up his first English cap in November of 2018 against USA.
That game was also noteworthy for the fact that Trent Alexander-Arnold scored his first international goal in a 3-0 triumph for the Three Lions.
If 2018 was a memorable year in the career of McCarthy, the beginning of 2019 saw the keeper suffer a professional blow when new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl replaced him with former Man City youngster Angus Gunn and the incumbent was suddenly on the outside looking in.
The confidence of Gunn grew as the games progressed and the 22 year-old won plenty of plaudits as Southampton escaped relegation once again.
The overall view from Saints fans was the demotion of McCarthy was well deserved as his positioning was poor and had lost the command of his area.
Having a custodian like Alisson is a godsend for Jurgen Klopp, the squad as a whole and the fanbase as you just know that the Brazilian will step up to the mark when questions are asked of him.
You certainly don't have to be world class to be a deputy, but just someone who can come in and play a role when the manager gives you a opportunity.
McCarthy has been around the block plenty of times and knows the score. That is why bringing him into the squad will equate to a very shrewd bit of business.
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.