Liverpool face a seismic summer transfer window but Jurgen Klopp might not get it quite to his liking, especially in the case of reserve keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Jurgen Klopp could lose his trusty goalkeeper this summer as pressure mounts on Caoimhin Kelleher to leave Anfield.
The 24-year-old Irish goalkeeper was Alisson Becker’s understudy for two seasons and impressed every time the Liverpool no.1 got a break. But with Alisson still at his best and enjoying many more playing minutes, Kelleher was pushed to leave in the summer transfer window with a move to Brighton or Brentford on the cards.
And that’s despite Klopp claiming he couldn’t imagine the Republic of Ireland international saying goodbye. “Honestly, I don’t see Caoimh leaving,” the Reds manager told a press conference after apparently agreeing to give third-choice keeper Adrian a new one-year contract. Must be an amazing offer that I’m starting to think about, I must say. Adrian, if we don’t say goodbye [already], what would that mean? Which will probably remain, but if there’s nothing in the papers then it hasn’t been definitively decided yet. We won’t [say goodbye] just in case, but I have a feeling we [will] continue to work together in that position.”
Now the season is drawing to a close for the Reds, Kelleher is in his international cap and Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has revealed he expects the 24-year-old to indeed leave Liverpool. “It looks like he’s going to be moving this summer,” Kenny said after calling up Kelleher for June’s internationals. This can only benefit him as he has to play games. He hasn’t played any more games this year and that has been a problem for him.”
In fact, Kelleher was missing playing time, having been unable to play for the first two months of the domestic season due to a hamstring injury. Klopp gave him his first Premier League start of the season on Sunday when he conceded four away goals at Southampton.
Kenny went on to express his sympathy for Kelleher, who has played at Anfield since he was 16 and has fond memories with the Reds. “He is very talented and it is difficult to leave Liverpool, such a legendary club,” admitted the Irish coach. “A change is not easy, there is a process you go through at such a club.”
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“Last season was successful for him to some extent, he won the League Cup and took part in the cup competitions. There were a lot of games. They left early this year so there was no not much football for him. I think.” He is ready to play regularly, he really needs to play because he is not so young now, he is 24 years old. “I think it will happen this summer. It’s usually not the right thing to talk about replacing a player, but at Liverpool he’s behind one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It’s not going to get any easier and you can’t. » Improve when you’re not playing.
