Aston Villa may have to react quickly as Brentford approach for a Liverpool star.
Brentford have reportedly made contact with Liverpool ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop for goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
The Bees are preparing for the possible exit of Mark Flekken amid strong interest from Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen and have listed Kelleher as a priority target. The 26-year-old, now entering the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield, is eager to move on to become the first-choice goalkeeper for a Premier League side.
The Republic of Ireland international has had some decent opportunities when Alisson Becker has been injured, as he excelled in two Carabao Cup final wins, as well as this season’s victory over Real Madrid. It’s come to a point where he’s fed up of having to wait around for his chances, though, and he’s eager to move on.
The Independent reports Brentford have already approached Liverpool to figure out the possible requirements for a deal. It’s claimed Kelleher will be available for around £20 million but it won’t be easy for the Bees to sign him as a host of Premier League clubs, including Nottingham Forest, are keen.
Birmingham World understands Aston Villa are interested in Kelleher, too, as they consider their options with Emiliano Martinez perhaps set for the exit door. The Villans won’t be best pleased that Brentford have joined the race for Kelleher as there was already plenty of competition for the shot-stopper’s signature.
Kelleher is just one of many players on Villa’s shortlist, alongside the likes of Espanyol’s Joan Garcia and LOSC Lille’s Lucas Chevalier. There’s no guarantee Martinez is sold but it’s becoming increasingly likely as Villa must make at least one significant sale to conform to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Another player or several fringe players could be sacrificed instead, but the Villans know they could sell Martinez for a huge fee and bring in another, not-too-inferior goalkeeper for cheaper. Garcia and Kelleher are both available for around £20 million, for instance, while Martinez could gather up to double that.
Aston Villa say farewell to £40m signing hopes
In other transfer news, Villa won’t be signing Marcus Rashford permanently from Manchester United despite having the £40 million option to do so. The attacker himself has decided he doesn’t want to join the club for the long term following the narrow failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Rashford, confirming his time at Villa has come to an end, recently posted a farewell on Instagram. “Just a message of thanks to everyone here at Villa for what has (injury aside) been an incredible few months for me,” the 27-year-old wrote.
“It is a really special club and I appreciated the way Villa fans embraced me with open arms from first minute on the pitch. The manager, team, and coaching staff have all been brilliant. I know it is a huge disappointment not to have made the Champions League place which everyone worked so hard all season for but I know this club and team will come back stronger.”
Some Villa supporters will be gutted that Rashford won’t be signing permanently, but, at the end of the day, his wage demands were always unrealistic. Villa simply can’t afford to cough up around £350,000 per week on one player, so it was always going to be tricky to land Rashford – even if Champions League football was secured.
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