Mark Travers is almost certain to leave Bournemouth this summer, according to a national media report amid his fine form while on loan at Middlesbrough.
Travers is enjoying a solid spell at Middlesbrough in the second half of the season, having joined on loan after growing frustrated with a lack of game-time at the Vitality Stadium in the first half of the campaign. He kept his second Boro clean sheet in Saturday’s draw with Luton Town.
Though current Cherries number one Kepa Arrizabalaga is only on loan from Chelsea, a report in the Sun this week claims that the south coast outfit, have identified Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher as a summer target to replace the Spaniard. The same report claims the move would almost certainly bring an end to Travers’ time at Bournemouth as he seeks more regular game-time.
Kelleher is an international team-mate of Travers, with the pair currently away together with the Ireland squad. Kelleher is currently at Liverpool but is second-choice behind Allison Becker and is also said to be keen this summer to move for regular football. Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle have also been credited with interest, but Bournemouth are likely to be able to offer guaranteed minutes to the 26-year-old, who Liverpool are said to value at £30 million.
As for Travers, exactly where he could end up remains to be seen. The 24-year-old has as yet been unable to establish himself in the top flight, with this current Boro loan his second in the Championship, having spent half of last season at Stoke City.
The goalkeeping department is likely to be one Boro have to revisit in the summer. Sol Brynn is expected to return from injury before the end of the current season, but Seny Dieng’s injury was similar to Alex Bangura’s - with the left-back still not back after undergoing Achilles surgery in the summer. That means Boro might struggle to sell the Senegal international during the next window, with two years remaining on his deal.
Tom Glover will enter the final 12 months of his contract too, and may choose to pursue first-team opportunities of his own elsewhere, having found himself third-choice for much of this campaign. That means Boro will likely need to sign at least one keeper, though there’ll be a decision to make on whether it’s someone of the calibre of Travers, at a time when academy product Brynn will hope to establish himself as first-choice. Boro do also have Zach Hemming on loan at St Mirren.