1 week Ago By [email protected] (Mark Wakefield)
Latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip as Arne Slot has seemingly already hinted at what may happens with Caoimhin Kelleher's future Arne Slot may have already hinted that one Liverpool player's long-term future may not be at Anfield . The Reds are currently preparing to face Manchester City at Anfield in the top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Sunday. Liverpool go into the game with an eight-point advantage over City in the table, and that lead could be extended to 11 points with victory over Pep Guardiola's side.
Caoimhin Kelleher has been Liverpool's No,1 goalkeeper ever since Alisson Becker suffered a hamstring injury away at Crystal Palace on October 5. Since then, the Republic of Ireland international has started eight of the last nine matches and keeping four clean sheets in the process. Kelleher's future has been the subject of speculation in recent months, with the Republic of Ireland international linked with a move away from Anfield last summer.
Liverpool moved to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia in the same window , although the shot-stopper will not officially move to Merseyside until next summer after spending the campaign on loan in Spain. It remains to be seen what will happen with the goalkeeping department at the end of the season when Liverpool have Alisson, Kelleher, Mamardashvili and Vitezslav Jaros in their ranks. Slot confirmed earlier this month that Alisson would return to the line-up once he has recovered from injury, meaning it's inevitable that Kelleher will soon drop to the bench.
“First of all, Alisson needs to become fit and I’ve always been quite clear and that’s always been the position of Alisson that he is, and will be, our first goalkeeper if he is fit," Slot told reporters after the win over Aston Villa on November 9. “But therefore he first needs to be it, but Caoimhin [Kelleher] has done outstanding last season and this season again as well. But the moment Alisson will be fit he will be our first goalkeeper.
” Kelleher has proved his worth to Liverpool over the last two matches, saving penalties against Adam Armstrong for Southampton and Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid. It was after the Reds' win over Madrid in the Champions League that Slot was asked about the 26-year-old's standing in the squad compared to Alisson and reiterated his previous message. "Every decision I have to make is a difficult one because I have so many quality players, but I think I have been clear about that situation (with Alisson being first choice over Kelleher)," Slot told reporters on Wednesday .
"But tonight shouldn't be that, it should be about about Caoimhin being so important for us. It was a big moment for him. "If you see Mbappe behind the ball and I thought what everyone thought - which was the same when Mo Salah stepped up - that this ball is probably going to go in.
He saved it so it was a big moment for him, so let that be the headlines and not the other thing I was quite clear about a few weeks ago.".
