Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher shares a joke with Federico Chiesa
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher shares a joke with Federico Chiesa
The season isn't even over and the Premier League title is still to be secured, but already talk is starting to turn towards the summer transfer window and a Liverpool squad overhaul. Such is often the case when a major final is lost.
Supporters know at least one new face is set to arrive at Anfield in the coming months with Giorgi Mamardashvili stepping in after the Reds last summer agreed a £30million deal with Valencia to sign the Georgian international.
And that has long prompted discussion over what might happen to Liverpool's goalkeeping options. Here the ECHO writers ponder the possibilities...
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Paul Gorst
No department will encapsulate the transition at Liverpool this summer quite like the goalkeeping one. In comes Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili to provide stern competition for the man who is eight years his senior in Alisson Becker, while Caoimhin Kelleher will head into the final year of his contract at Anfield.
It's an open secret the Republic of Ireland international has been the subject of interest previously and this summer's window represents the last chance for the club to get anywhere near what they feel his true value to be. The £7m-plus-Mat Turner offer from Nottingham Forest last year was certainly nowhere near that, while Jurgen Klopp has also privately been particularly critical of other clubs trying their luck when it comes to Kelleher and his valuation.
That being said, Liverpool cannot be too stubborn in their refusals to budge, because the prospect of Kelleher's value dwindling away while he serves as third-choice goalkeeper at Anfield next season would represent a futile existence for the player and a terrible waste for the club.
Put simply, Kelleher is far better served asking his representatives to organise a transfer in the summer before being given the hero's send-off he should be entitled to given his contribution as a two-time League Cup winner for the Reds.
There will be plenty of negotiation in the meantime, but Liverpool will have to cede at least some ground this summer to bring in a good fee for a player who will be surplus to requirements given the arrival of Mamardashvili from Valencia.
For Liverpool, it gives them what would be a decent sum to reinvest into the summer's squad building, while a move for Kelleher will give him the chance to shine on a more consistent basis in the Premier League. It's a win-win situation as Alisson gears up for a different kind of competition for his place in Mamardashvili.
Ian Doyle
Like his Liverpool team-mates, Caoimhin Kelleher cut a gloomy figure after the final whistle at Wembley. And the Irishman has extra reason to have felt disappointed at the occasion, given it could very well be his last-ever appearance for the Reds.
Wrapping up the Premier League title with games to spare could hand Kelleher the opportunity of a farewell outing. Otherwise, he is behind Alisson Becker in the pecking order, with the domestic cups - Kelleher's way into the Liverpool first team in recent seasons - now a distant memory this campaign.
About to enter the final year of his Reds contract, the goalkeeper will be expected to leave in the summer considering the arrival of Mamardashvili and the summer representing the last time the Reds can gain anything like top dollar for a player who would walk into most other Premier League starting XIs. Chelsea, Bournemouth and promotion hopefuls Leeds United have all been linked of late.
With Liverpool wanting to keep hold of Vitezslav Jaros for another season, there seems little sense in having four international keepers on their books.
That said, could Mamardashvili's arrival be delayed by a further 12 months with a loan move? With the player only 24 - a mere pup in goalkeeping terms - it wouldn't be a huge shock. But Kelleher will surely feel now is the right moment to pursue being a regular elsewhere.
Liverpool, though, will not be selling on the cheap. They know Kelleher's worth - and potential suitors should also. This is a saga that could run and run.