Leeds United are eyeing up a move to sign Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the summer, but may face competition and a hefty price tag in the process.
Leeds have eight games left in the season before they can start formulating plans to make ambitious signings, whether they’re in the Premier League or staying put in the Championship.
However, it doesn’t stop links from emerging for Leeds to make eye-catching signings potentially as a top flight club.
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Leeds enter running for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher
(Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images)
GiveMeSport claimed this week that Leeds are the latest club to be alerted to the uncertain situation pertaining to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher at Liverpool.
The 25-year-old is currently second choice to Alisson Becker, but the pending arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili in the summer means that Kelleher is considering his options.
Leeds would have to secure promotion in order to be a club that Kelleher would be open to joining, amid links to Bournemouth and others already.
£25million is claimed to be the going rate for Liverpool to accept his exit, and if Leeds can’t compete with others on that sum, they have to have alternatives.
Here, we look at three Premier League options that could be cheaper and still an improvement at Elland Road…
Alex Palmer – Ipswich Town
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Every week since his arrival at Ipswich Town from West Brom, £5million January signing Alex Palmer has been getting praise from fans nonstop.
His shot-stopping hasn’t been able to keep the Tractor Boys in with a decent chance of staying up due to other factors, but he’s producing magnificent saves routinely.
https://twitter.com/IpswichCulture/status/1890833974735380532
His distribution can be put down as a weak spot of his skill set, but there has to be a point where Leeds start to consider a goalkeeper’s shot-stopping prowess more than his ability to make 10-15 yard passes to the centre-backs and full-backs.
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Sam Johnstone – Wolves
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Many fans have elected to erase Leeds’ 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace from memory, but arguably the most important man in the Palace side that day was goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
The England international was integral to keeping Leeds from running away with that game early on, and demonstrated a safe pair of hands that Leeds are going to need if they’re in the top flight next season.
He’s not found the same form since leaving Selhurst Park for Wolves, but at 31, is still only about to hit his peak years as a goalkeeper.
That sort of goalkeeper might just be what Leeds need if they aim to establish themselves heading into top flight.
Carl Rushworth – Brighton
(Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Carl Rushworth, for whatever reason, couldn’t get a game at Hull City at the bottom end of the Championship this season and was unsurprisingly sent back to Brighton.
It was odd that the Tigers saw no use for one of last season’s best goalkeepers in the Championship, not only in his ability to keep the ball out of his net, but also in his superb distribution.
With Bart Verbruggen the undisputed number one for the Seagulls, Rushworth is surely looking for a long-term home where he’s going to start, and Leeds might be that place.
Even though he’s a Manchester United fan, being from Halifax might be something that would work in Leeds’ favour, bringing him closer to home.