Much has been made about Liverpool’s need for midfield reinforcements this summer, but little attention has been paid to the club’s goalkeeping situation.
Alisson Becker will of course remain the Reds’ starting keeper next season, while Adrian is likely to depart as a free agent and Caoimhin Kelleher may well be weighing up whether the time is right to move on.
Nobody can question the performances put in by the Republic of Ireland international in a Liverpool shirt, which is ironically part of the problem. Such is the level Kelleher has shown between the sticks, a number of clubs may be considering making a permanent move for the 24-year-old. The Reds will certainly be in no rush to offload the Cork-born keeper, though the player himself may no longer wish to play the role of Alisson’s understudy as he attempts to establish himself as a first-choice option.
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Kelleher made eight first-team appearances last term, playing a starring role in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea – a side he also impressed against in the Premier League after Alisson’s Covid-enforced absence. Early exits from both cups have restricted the shot-stopper to only three outings this season, a tally which is unlikely to increase between now and May.
Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach John Achterberg is one individual who has witnessed the growth of the ex-Ringmahon Rangers man since he was handed a first-team debut against MK Dons in September 2019. Where, then, does Achterberg believe the future of the Reds’ No.2 lies?
“I am happy for him to be at the club because it makes my job easy,” the Dutchman told the ECHO. "He is a quality keeper and he showed it when he has been called up. In training, Ali shows the highest level in his technical and tactical knowledge and movement, Caoimh sees a lot of that but he has a lot of speed and great reactions of his own. The calmness Ali has on the ball, Caiomh has too. They are really suited to the way we play.
“We have a lot of young goalies to try and help, and Adrian is there to help too. We are working with six keepers, three young ones and three experienced ones, they learn off each other and that is perfect for the youngsters to learn from the best.”
Should Kelleher look to seize an opportunity elsewhere during the summer transfer window, the chances are Achterberg is likely to keep a sharp eye on his progress.
Former Reds keeper Loris Karius left Liverpool on a permanent basis at the end of last campaign and is rather unfortunately remembered by fans for the one performance that would haunt any player. At fault for two goals in the 2018 Champions League final, there proved to be no way back from this fixture for the German.
Almost five years on from the heartache of Kyiv, Karius is expected to feature between the sticks for Newcastle United in their Carabao Cup final versus Manchester United on Sunday due to Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka being unavailable for selection.
After creating the unwanted legacy of denying Liverpool a European Cup to add to their collection, Achterberg is hopeful the 29-year-old can seek redemption during this weekend's showpiece fixture at Wembley.
“Of course, you want him to play really well and to be the best he can. I hope he can keep a clean sheet and be the Man of the Match,” he admitted. "You want all the goalkeepers you worked with to do well and for Loris, it is the same. If he does well, this can be the next step for his career to kick on again.”
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