One Liverpool player has hinted that there will be ‘discussions’ regarding his future at the club ‘over the coming weeks’.
Caoimhin Kelleher’s contract runs to 2026, but with the Irish goalkeeper now 25 and still unable to dislodge the mercurial Alisson Becker as the Reds’ number one, there has been considerable discourse surrounding his immediate future.
In an interview with The Athletic, the Cork native insisted that he’s proven capable of being a first choice at Premier League level, and he hinted that he may be willing to depart Anfield in order to make it happen.
In relation to whether he might be on the move this summer, he said: “There will be some discussions over the coming weeks. The club was busy with the manager leaving and appointing a new one. With all the new staff arriving, those talks will happen.”
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Kelleher has now made it clear that he’s no longer content to bide his time as Alisson’s understudy, acknowledging that he’s competing with ‘the best goalkeeper in the world for years’ (The Athletic).
Having made 26 appearances this season and shown that he’s good enough for any team in the Premier League, notably coming up clutch in the Carabao Cup final three months ago, he has every right to believe that he’s worthy of being a regular starter at this level.
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If anything, he deserves commendation for staying with Liverpool for so long, when other ‘keepers might have given up trying to compete with the brilliant Brazilian, so he certainly couldn’t be begrudged an exit from Anfield.
If, after speaking to senior figures at the club in a few weeks’ time, he’s decided that he wants to prove himself at pastures new, it’d be impossible to blame him. Should that eventuality come to pass, the Reds’ hierarchy must ensure that they swiftly bring in a replacement of similar quality.
Alisson won’t be dislodged as an automatic starter any time soon, but with the 31-year-old succumbing to several injury absences during this time at the club, it’s essential that there’s a capable deputy ready to seize their chance whenever it might come up.