Former Republic of Ireland captain Richard Dunne says his fellow countryman Caoimhin Kelleher should join Chelsea this summer.
The Blues are said to be looking for a new No.1 and Dunne, who was capped 80 times at international level, told William Hill that the Liverpool shot-stopper would be a good fit for Enzo Maresca‘s team:
“He’s good enough now to be a No1, he’s proven that this season. At the age he’s at, he’s probably feeling ready to play on a regular basis and be the starting keeper for a team that is challenging for trophies. It’s important that he finds the right club. He’s got a real opportunity to have more success in the rest of his career, if it’s not at Liverpool, and he needs to make sure the club is suitable and matches his own ambitions.”
“He’s no longer looked upon as just a young second-choice goalkeeper, he’s one of the best keepers in the league, hopefully he finds the best solution. Chelsea need a goalkeeper. Although they’ve probably got four or five on their books, they don’t have one that is consistent. Kelleher is proven and Chelsea would be good for him.”
Will Liverpool let the keeper go to a rival?
The Reds will have very little need for Kelleher beyond the end of this season. They have already agreed to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia who will be brought in to compete with first-choice Alisson Becker.
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That means Kelleher is unlikely to get much game time if he remains at Anfield beyond the summer.
How much would Kelleher cost?
Reports suggest that Liverpool would demand at least £40m for the Irishman, which isn’t an unreasonable figure considering the quality that he possesses.
Filip Jorgensen cost Chelsea £20m and Robert Sanchez was brought in for £25m when he was snapped up from Brighton at the start of last season.
Based on Kelleher’s performances over the past couple of years, most would agree that he would be a decent upgrade on both of those keepers. Maresca demands his No.1 to be good with the ball at his feet and that is definitely one of the Liverpool No.2’s strongest attributes. He hasn’t misplaced a short or medium range pass this season, while his long pass accuracy is better than Jorgensen’s.
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