Pep Lijnders labels Caoimhin Kelleher as Liverpool’s ‘signing of the season’
Liverpool signed Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, but for Pep Lijnders, Caoimhin Kelleher was the Reds’ ‘signing of the season’.
He means it in the sense that the Reds almost got themselves a new player by keeping Kelleher at the club despite the player being heavily linked with a move away. Tottenham Hotspur were among the clubs chasing the 24-year-old as they looked to sign Hugo Lloris’ successor.
But as it turned out, Kelleher stayed at Anfield. Speaking of the Ireland international ahead of Liverpool’s EFL Cup clash against Leicester City at home this week, Lijnders told the club’s official website:
“I think the best signing of the season is Caoimhin, that he stayed with us. For me he is a world-class goalie and he needs games and he will get games. And I think Ali is massive in this, in how Caoimhin developed, and he deserves a big, big compliment in terms of Caoimhin’s development. Alisson was massive in this.”
Alisson is arguably the best and most consistent goalkeeper in the world right now. There is no flaw in his game and he is hardly ever injured.
But Jurgen Klopp likes Kelleher. He has made him his starting goalkeeper in domestic cup competitions in recent seasons over Adrian San Miguel and we can expect Kelleher to start against Leicester at Anfield.
That is the least he deserves. He is at an age where he should be playing regularly for his development and perhaps a loan move would have been the best for his development.
But it is also true that a club the size of Liverpool need two good goalkeepers so that they are covered in the event of injuries. We can expect the rumour mill to run in full flow once again next year.
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However, the Reds should be in no hurry to sell him. He still has just under three years left on his contract at Anfield (Transfermarkt) and we should look to make the most of his stay here. Alisson, 30, has shown no signs of slowing down but perhaps in a couple of years, he could need competition, and Kelleher could come in handy then.
