Liverpool star might by no means play for membership once more with £30m summer time switch anticipated
The Liverpool star who is soon to be out of contract is expected to leave the Premier League giants this summer, as Arne Slot begins rebuilding the Reds
The season isn’t even over and the Premier League title is still up for grabs, but talk about the summer transfer window and a potential Liverpool squad revamp has already begun after their Carabao Cup final defeat.
Fans are aware that at least one new player is set to join the Reds in the coming months, with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili poised to step in after Liverpool agreed a £30million deal with Valencia last summer to sign the Georgian international.
No area will embody the transition at Liverpool this summer quite like the goalkeeping department. Mamardashvili is set to provide stiff competition for Alisson Becker, who is eight years his senior, while Caoimhin Kelleher will be entering the final year of his contract at Anfield, reports the Liverpool Echo.
It’s widely known the Republic of Ireland international has attracted interest in the past, and this summer’s transfer window represents the last opportunity for the club to get a price close to his true value.
A £7m-plus-Mat Turner offer from Nottingham Forest last year was certainly well below that, while Jurgen Klopp has also privately criticised other Premier League clubs for undervaluing Kelleher.
That being said, Liverpool cannot afford to be too rigid in their refusal to negotiate, as the prospect of Kelleher’s value depreciating while he serves as third-choice goalkeeper at Anfield next season would represent a pointless existence for the player and a terrible waste for the club.
In simple terms, Kelleher would be better off instructing his agents to arrange a transfer this summer before receiving the hero’s farewell he deserves given his contribution as a two-time League Cup winner for the Reds.
There will undoubtedly be plenty of negotiation in the interim, but Liverpool will need to concede some ground this summer to secure a good fee for a player who will be surplus to requirements following the arrival of Mamardashvili from Valencia.
For Liverpool, it provides what could be a substantial sum to reinvest into the squad building this summer, while a move for Kelleher will offer him the opportunity to regularly showcase his skills in the Premier League. It’s a win-win situation as Alisson prepares for a different kind of competition for his place with Mamardashvili.
Like his team-mates, Kelleher looked downcast after the final whistle at Wembley following the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United. And the Irishman has an additional reason to feel disappointed about the occasion, considering it could very well be his last-ever appearance for the Reds.
Securing the Premier League title with matches to spare could provide Kelleher with a chance for a farewell appearance. However, he currently sits behind Alisson in the selection hierarchy, and the domestic cups – which have been Kelleher’s route into Liverpool’s first team in recent seasons – are now a thing of the past this season.
This summer represents the last opportunity for Liverpool to command a high transfer fee for a player who could easily secure a starting spot in most other Premier League teams.
Chelsea, Bournemouth and promotion contenders Leeds United have all been linked recently. With Liverpool keen to retain current third keeper Vitezslav Jaros for another season, it seems impractical to have four international goalkeepers on their roster.
