Liverpool
Premier League • England
‘He’s ready to go’ – Liverpool star backed to ditch Klopp with Tottenham, Brighton offers expected
The international manager of a Liverpool star has urged his fellow countryman to leave for the good of his career, and offers from Tottenham and Brighton are anticipated, per a report.
The headlines at Anfield this summer will be dominated by who arrives in the midfield revamp. Alexis Mac Allister looks certain to be first through the door and Fabrizio Romano reported the fee is actually “way less” than the £65m-£70m range that is being bandied around.
Elsewhere, Liverpool are in talks with French midfielders Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone. However, today’s update regards the goalkeeping position.
Alisson Becker is Liverpool’s No 1 and that won’t soon change. Third-choice stopper, Adrian, will extend his stay for 12 more months, according to Romano.
However, the player in the middle of that pair in the pecking order – Caoimhin Kelleher – is facing an uncertain future.
The 24-year-old has never let Liverpool down when given the nod to start. However, those instances have been frustratingly rare thanks in large part to the brilliance of Alisson.
Indeed, Kelleher has racked up just 21 senior appearances for the Reds since making his debut in 2019. By contrast, he already has 10 caps for the Republic of Ireland and the international fixture list is obviously far sparser.
Varying reports have suggested Kelleher will push to leave Liverpool and become a regular starter elsewhere this summer.
That’s certainly not a scenario Jurgen Klopp wishes to see, with the German recently admitting it’ll take a sizeable offer before he lets Kelleher go.
“I can’t see… honestly, I can’t see Caoimhin leaving,” said Klopp. “It must be an extraordinary offer that I start thinking, I have to say.”
However, Football Insider recently reported Premier League trio Tottenham, Brentford and Brighton are showing interest and could table bids.
Brentford have since announced the signing of Mark Flekken from Freiburg, but the other two remain on the hunt for new stoppers.
Hugo Lloris is well past his best at Spurs, while Robert Sanchez could leave Brighton after being ousted by Jason Steele as the starter.
Kelleher “knows” he must leave Liverpool – Ireland boss
Now, speaking on Kelleher’s future (via Sky Sports), Ireland manager, Stephen Kenny, has gone against Klopp and urged the goalkeeper to leave Liverpool behind.
“I would fully expect that,” said Kenny on the prospect of Kelleher seeking pastures new.
“It’s not right normally to speak about a player moving, but he’s at the stage where he’s behind probably one of the best goalkeepers in the world and it’s not going to get any easier.
“He can’t afford not playing. He knows that and he’s known that for a while. It’s not easy.
“There’s a process you go through with a club like that and I think and it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to move in the summer, and he knows that.
“I think he’s ready to go and play regularly because he needs to. It’s hard to leave Liverpool, it’s such an iconic club, but he’s not so young now.
“He’s 24 and he needs to play and he knows that.”
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