Slot responds to Liverpool star who is ‘expected’ to leave in 2025 with ‘bigger worry’ revealed

Arne Slot has given his thoughts on Caoimhin Kelleher’s situation as the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper continues to be strongly linked with an exit from the club.

Kelleher has proven himself to be a fine backup goalkeeper over the years, but now aged 25, it’s fair to say that he has outgrown his place on the Anfield bench.

Despite being strongly linked with an exit during the summer, the goalkeeper has remained at the club, but it has been strongly rumoured that he will leave in 2025.

According to Liverpool journalist James Pearce, there is an ‘expectation’ that this will be Kelleher’s final year at Liverpool, with Giorgi Mamardashvili set to take his place next season.

While Kelleher seems keen to play regular first team football elsewhere, Slot has admitted that it would be a ‘bigger worry’ if he was happy to stick around and sit on the bench.

“I would be really worried if a player came out and said, ‘I don’t care about playing first-team football, I like it so much on the bench and want to stay there for the rest of my life’”, Slot told reporters.

“That would be a bigger worry for me. It is normal they want to play but also normal that a club as big as this – trying to compete for trophies – has more than 11 players that can play.

“As long as they accept their situation – not accept in a way that they don’t care but accept it in a way that they can help the team whenever they have to. This is a good place to be in. Caoimh has shown many times in the past few years and even in pre-season that he is ready when we need him.”

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Kelleher is expected to leave in 2025

While a move didn’t materialise for Kelleher over the summer, it seems almost certain that he will leave Liverpool next year, especially with Mamardashvili set to arrive from Valencia.

Nottingham Forest were among the clubs interested in the Irishman, but Liverpool rejected their £7m offer which also included Matt Turner.

Along with Forest, the likes of Celtic and Wolves were also linked with the 25-year-old, but neither of those clubs were able to meet Liverpool’s asking price.

“He’s a Premier League quality goalkeeper, so it baffles me really that there wasn’t a bigger kind of battle for his signature,” Liverpool journalist Pearce told the Walk On podcast.

“I think in the end, for Liverpool, it was a no-brainer. Why would you sell Kelleher for £7million plus a back-up goalkeeper you don’t even want? That would have been nonsensical.

“And of course, with Mamardashvili really being lined up for next summer, the expectation now is that this will be Kelleher’s last year at the club.”

Jurgen Klopp once described Kelleher as the world’s best back-up goalkeeper and it’s hard to argue with that description.

While the 25-year-old has only featured sparingly in the Premier League, he’s often produced heroics when called into action in the cup competitions.

With his contract at Liverpool set to run until 2026, it makes sense that Liverpool will look to cash in on him while they still can in 2025.

Other Liverpool stars could depart in 2025

Kelleher certainly isn’t the only Liverpool star who could depart in 2025 as the Reds need to iron out the futures of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano expects Liverpool to be in talks with all three players in the coming weeks.

“There will be conversations, there will be talks. Let them work. In the sense that Liverpool have to discuss with Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the same will happen with Virgil van Dijk. Talks will follow to understand the futures of these players, including Mo Salah,” Romano said on the Here We Go podcast.

“As of today, it’s not over at all between Salah and Liverpool. Talks will follow and we will see how these discussions will go on project, contract, length of the contract and also, obviously, money.”

Alexander-Arnold is still being eyed by Real Madrid, but Liverpool will do everything in their power to keep him at the club.

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Kelleher has outgrown the Liverpool bench

While Kelleher is yet to have the chance to play regularly in the Premier League, except when Alisson is unavailable, he has played his part in several honours.

Kelleher’s debut for Liverpool came in the EFL Cup in 2019, and he has over time made his mark as their go-to man outside of the Premier League or Champions League.

After getting five cup appearances under his belt, Kelleher’s Premier League debut came in December 2020. In fact, his first Champions League outing preceded his Premier League bow.

Kelleher was Liverpool’s starting goalkeeper in the 2022 EFL Cup final, famously scoring the winning penalty. That season, he also set Liverpool on their way to FA Cup glory, although it was Alisson who took over from the fifth round onwards.

Last season, Kelleher was ever-present in Liverpool’s EFL Cup run, which once again culminated in them winning the competition. He kept a clean sheet in the final to help earn Jurgen Klopp his last Liverpool trophy.

Kelleher also picked up extra European experience by virtue of Liverpool being in the Europa League rather than the Champions League, with Klopp opting to rotate his goalkeepers for UEFA’s secondary competition.

But with Liverpool back in the Champions League this term and Arne Slot insisting Alisson is in his rightful place as no.1, Kelleher would be lucky to match his all-competitions appearance tally of 26 from last season this time around.

He will have to bide his time to play his part in the domestic cup competitions again, aiming for another potential honour before the time finally comes to move on from Liverpool and show he can be more than just a cup keeper.