Liverpool goalkeeper Caiomhin Kelleher has been told he would be the ideal long-term heir for Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich, with the Reds back-up stopper having hit out at the club’s summer transfer business.
Kelleher moved to Merseyside when an unknown teenager in the summer of 2015 under the regime of Brendan Rodgers, initially hooking up with their academy squad after making the move from little-known Irish side Ringmahon Rangers. And after working his way up through the ranks, the goalkeeper is now regarded as Liverpool‘s No 2 – and one of the best back-up shot-stoppers around.
However, the position of reserve goalkeeper is not a happy one, and especially for someone as ambitious and talented as Kelleher. Having played second fiddle behind their undisputed first choice, Alisson Becker – widely considered one of the best in the world game – chances have been few and far between for Kelleher.
That said, now in his sixth season in the senior Liverpool squad, Kelleher has at least managed 48 appearances in that time and has also collected five major honours in that time.
However, the 25-year-old has aspirations to become a No 1 in his own right and now former Liverpool goalkeeper coach John Achterberg insists Kelleher is ready for a big move and feels he could be a viable summer target for Bayern Munich given Manuel Neuer is now 37 and potentially nearing the end of the line.
“I don’t know how many conversations the club has had with him; maybe you can send him on loan,” Achterberg told LFC Transfer Room Podcast.
“Caoimhin is more than ready and if Bayern Munich want to take him I think that would be a good choice, but I think he could play at the top level. He never let us down at Liverpool.”
READ MORE ➡️ The most expensive Bayern Munich transfers of all time: Michael Olise three places behind Harry Kane
Kelleher left disappointed by Liverpool signing as Slot speaks out
Now aged 25, the 16-times capped Ireland international has made no secret of his desire to take his career to the next level and become the top dog elsewhere.
However, it seems almost certain that Kelleher will never likely get that chance at Liverpool with Alisson not leaving any time soon and with Arne Slot having sanctioned the £29.9m (€35m, $40m) capture of Giorgi Mamardashvili over the summer, though that move has been delayed by a year owing to the keeper remaining on loan with Valencia.
That transfer though clearly disappointed Kelleher, who was quick to express his frustration at the signing of the 6ft 6in Georgian.
Speaking while on international duty with Ireland recently, Kelleher said: “I think I’ve made it clear in the last few years that I want to go and be a number one and play week in, week out.
“The club have made that decision to get another goalkeeper in as well which, obviously from the outside looking in, looks like they’ve made a decision to go in a different direction.”
Slot, meanwhile, insists he understands his No. 2’s feelings, saying he would be disappointed by any player not knocking on his door for being overlooked.
“I would be really worried if a player came out and said, ‘I don’t care about playing first-team football, I like it so much on the bench and want to stay there for the rest of my life’,” Slot said in response.
“That would be a bigger worry for me. It is normal they want to play but also normal that a club as big as this – trying to compete for trophies – has more than 11 players that can play.
“As long as they accept their situation – not accept in a way that they don’t care but accept it in a way that they can help the team whenever they have to. This is a good place to be in. Caoimh has shown many times in the past few years and even in pre-season that he is ready when we need him.”
Slot keen to reunite with Feyenoord star / Romano drops big Alexander-Arnold update
Elsewhere today, TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti has revealed the Reds are considering a move to reunite Slot with Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber.
The Reds missed out on a deal for Martin Zubimendi over the summer months, with the Euro 2024 winner opting to remain with Real Sociedad.
And while talk of that move being rekindled in 2025 has emerged of late, Liverpool are yet to hear anything concrete and are understood to be looking at other options – of which we can reveal Timber is now one.
Meanwhile, one star who the Reds fear might get away is Trent Alexander-Arnold with his deal at Anfield due to expire at the season’s end and with Real Madrid in hot pursuit of the 25-year-old.
However, Fabrizio Romano has now dropped a 35-word update on the Reds’ vice-captain’s future which will provide huge cheer for all associated with Liverpool.
And in what is a busy day of transfer speculation for the Reds, reports in Spain claim Real Madrid have now opened the door for a big-money move to Anfield for one of Carlo Ancelotti’s favourite players – though any move will come with a monster asking price.
Kelleher’s Liverpool debut – where are they now?
September 25, 2024 is the fifth anniversary of Kelleher’s first appearance for Liverpool, which was in a 2019-20 Carabao Cup third-round clash with MK Dons. He has since added another 47 appearances for the club, but what about the players who took to the field ahead of him that same night?
Ki-Jana Hoever – Having made his debut in the previous season’s FA Cup, Hoever started at right-back against MK Dons for his second appearance and was one of the two goalscorers. However, he only played in two more games before being sold to Wolves, who have sent him out on loan to Auxerre for the 2024-25 season, his third consecutive loan away from Molineux after spells with PSV and Stoke City.
Joe Gomez – The longest-serving player in the Liverpool squad, Gomez was at the club before Jurgen Klopp and has remained a Red beyond Klopp’s reign too. The 27-year-old has only featured once since Arne Slot took charge, though, which was in a Champions League match against AC Milan as a substitute.
Dejan Lovren – The 2019-20 season was Lovren’s last at Liverpool. He has since had spells with Zenit and Lyon, before the 35-year-old joined Greek side PAOK earlier this month.
James Milner – Deputising at left-back in the game against MK Dons, as he often did towards the end of his Liverpool spell, Milner scored the game’s first goal. He is now at Brighton, whom he joined after his Liverpool contract expired in 2023, and has embarked on a record 23rd Premier League season.
Adam Lallana – Now 36, creative midfielder Lallana re-joined Southampton, the club from which Liverpool had signed him in 2014, this summer, following a spell elsewhere on the South Coast with Brighton.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – After taking up the opportunity of playing abroad upon leaving Liverpool last summer, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been deemed surplus to requirements by Turkish side Besiktas, who have left him out of their initial Europa League squad, although the 31-year-old is still under contract until 2026.
Naby Keita – A first season back in the Bundesliga for Keita with Werder Bremen failed to ignite, with the midfielder making just one start and being suspended by his own club, despite his contract lasting for another two seasons.
Harvey Elliott – Also making his Liverpool debut on the same day as Kelleher was attacking midfielder Elliott, becoming their youngest ever starter at the age of 16. He has gone on to make more than 100 appearances for Liverpool, although he recently suffered a fractured foot.
Rhian Brewster – Liverpool banked £23.5m by selling Brewster to Sheffield United in 2020, but the striker has since scored only five goals for the Blades, drawing a blank in both of his full seasons in the Premier League.
Curtis Jones – Chosen as man of the match on just his second appearance for Liverpool in the MK Dons match, academy graduate Jones has since amassed more than 100 appearances for the club, either as a winger or midfielder.
Subs: Herbie Kane – Given a Liverpool debut from the bench against MK Dons, Kane’s only subsequent appearance for the club was later in the competition in a vastly rotated lineup against Aston Villa. The 25-year-old joined League One outfit Huddersfield Town from Barnsley this summer.
Pedro Chirivella – Liverpool sold Chirivella to Nantes in 2020 and it has worked out well for the Spanish midfielder, who is closing in on 150 appearances for the French Ligue 1 side.
Sepp van den Berg – Debuting for Liverpool against MK Dons, Van den Berg subsequently had to endure various loan spells away from the club before signing permanently for Brentford this summer. The defender has started all three of their games in September so far.
DON’T MISS ➡️ Ranking every player Liverpool have signed from La Liga after the Giorgi Mamardashvili deal
Source link
[redirect url=’https://fastpowers.com/’ sec=’3′]