‘Frustrated’ Liverpool man informs Slot he wants to leave with summer signing tipping him over edge

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has confirmed his desire to quit Anfield at the next available opportunity, having made clear his frustrations at the signing of Giorgio Mamardashvili and with a journalist giving additional insight into the Irishman’s thinking.

The Reds allowed several fringe players to depart this summer as new boss Arne Slot looked to streamline his squad and move on those players who did not figure in his immediate first-team plans, with Sepp van den Berg, Bobby Clark and Fabio Carvalho among those to leave for sizeable fees. In return, Liverpool only brought in two signings of their own, with the bargain capture of Federico Chiesa and the delayed signing of Valencia goalkeeper Mamardashvili both announced in the final days of the window.

The capture of Georgian giant Mamardashvili is certainly an interesting one. And while he will spend the entirety of the 2024/25 season on loan with Valencia, where he made his name, Liverpool’s capture of him means that they have their goalkeeper position secured for many years ahead and a successor for Alisson Becker already sorted when the Brazilian decides it is time to move on.

IN DEPTH ➡️ Ranking every player Liverpool have signed from La Liga after Giorgi Mamardashvili deal

However, the future signing of the Euro 2024 star have not gone down well with Kelleher, who pushed hard to leave, but yet still remains at Anfield and once again finds himself warming the bench.

Speaking while away on international duty with Ireland, Kelleher told a press conference: “I think I’ve made it clear in the last few years that I want to go and be a number one and play week in, week out.

“The club have made that decision to get another goalkeeper in as well which, obviously from the outside looking in, looks like they’ve made a decision to go in a different direction.”

Kelleher confirms desire to leave Liverpool

The 25-year-old was linked with moves to both Celtic and Nottingham Forest over the summer, with neither move materliasing and with the Reds’ £20m (€23.7m / $26m)valuation of him seemingly proving problematic.

That fee was well beyond Celtic’s price range and seemingly proved too high for Forest, who instead moved to sign Brazilian Carlos Miguel in a £3.4m (€4m / $4.4m) deal from Corinthians as a back-up for first-choice Matz Sels.

And that failure to secure a move away has left Kelleher once again picking up splinters on the subs bench; a situation he has far from happy about.

“Yeah, my ambitions have always been clear and has been clear the last few seasons that I want to go and be a number one and play week in, week out.

“Sometimes from the outside looking in, it looks like maybe that’s 100% my decision but maybe at times it’s not always in my hands as well,” he said of Liverpool’s desire not to sell him.

The keeper made 26 appearances for the Merseysiders last season, deputising for the injured Alisson, but that has only whetted his appetite to feature more regularly.

“My ambition is to go out and play and be a number one. It’s been reported that Liverpool had rejected a few bids as well. Like I say, it’s not always in my hands to fully make the decision.

“My ambition is clear. I think I’m good enough and I want to go out and prove it and play week in, week out.”

Per journalist Graeme Bailey, Kelleher has understandably been left ‘frustrated’ by his situation.

“I don’t really think it was about value with him, they got to the point where they couldn’t let him go,” he told Rousing the Kop. “I understand the player himself isn’t too happy.

“There was a lot of goalkeeper movement as we saw. Southampton, Wolves, Bournemouth, this might have been his big chance and Kelleher was interested in all of those teams.

“So, I think he’s very frustrated. But he’s under contract and it is what it is.”

Liverpool show transfer steel

Having lost third-choice keeper Adrian as a free agent at the end of his contract, it is understandable that the Reds did also not want to lose Kelleher, who has more than proved himself as a quality back-up when required.

In addition to retaining his services, the Reds have shown real steel on the transfer front, largely sealing deals on their own terms and not being bossed around when it comes to the sales of stars.

It was that determination and resolve that allowed the Reds to bring in Chiesa for a modest fee, saving a colossal £40m on the price quoted last year.

The boot may well be on the other foot, though, when it comes to negotiating fresh terms with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has reportedly ‘refused’ the first offer of a new contract from the Reds.

And there seems little room for negotiation over the interest in Sevilla star Loic Bade, who has seemingly been identified as an ideal Virgil van Dijk heir.

Meanwhile, iconic former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been tipped for a 2025 return to the game by a German pundit.

Kelleher wasted at Anfield

Having made 26 appearances last season, Kelleher proved himself arguably the best deputy keeper around with a string of fine displays.

He ranks in the top five percent of keepers the Europe’s top five leagues for touches (averaging 95 per 90 mins played), while he also ranks high on crosses saved (8.1 per 90) and actions outside his penalty area (1.13 per 90) as per FBRef.

However, on saves made (67.6%) and clean sheet percentage (just 16.7%) he remains right down, perhaps vindicating that decision to not ever make him anything more than a back-up at Anfield.

Performances wise, the 2023/24 campaign was easily his most productive season, making 26 outings. But by and large, Kelleher has been used sparingly and it’s little surprise to see why he wants out and to make a name for himself elsewhere.