Liverpool turned a series of down offers for the wantaway star this summer
Liverpool manager Arne Slot(Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool began a new era this summer, but opted not to follow up the arrival of manager Arne Slot with a host of new players.
Just one new face has joined the Reds squad for the 2024/25 campaign, with forward Federico Chiesa signing in a £10million deal from Juventus, while youngsters Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho were sold to Brentford for fees of £25million and £27.5million respectively.
The club did do one more deal, which was the agreement to bring Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to Anfield next summer for a fee which could rise to £29million.
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The Georgian international has been earmarked as the long-term successor to Alisson Becker, but another of the club’s goalkeepers believes the writing is on the wall for his first-team hopes and wants to leave the club.
Caoimhin Kelleher has been at Liverpool since joining the club’s academy in 2015 and has made 47 appearances in all competitions since his first-team debut in the 2019/20 campaign, proving himself to be a worthy deputy to Alisson.
"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," Kelleher said while on international duty with Ireland.
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Caoimhin Kelleher in action for the Republic of Ireland
"The club's made that decision to get another goalkeeper and from the outside looking in, it looks like they've made a decision to go in a different direction."
Liverpool reportedly turned down a number of approaches from Premier League sides over the summer, with the likes of Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves all linked with the 25-year-old. But with Mamardashvili heading back to Valencia on loan once that deal was agreed, Liverpool kept hold of Kelleher as a back-up for Alisson.
"Sometimes from the outside looking in, it looks like that's 100% my decision but at times it's not always in my hands," Kelleher continued. "It's been reported that Liverpool have rejected a few bids as well. My ambition is clear that I think I'm good enough and I want to go out and prove it."
The stopper is under contract until 2026 and is valued at €20million by Transfermarkt. In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Kelleher desire to leave is understandable, having seen the club drop almost £30million on another goalkeeper. When the Irishman has seen action over the past couple of seasons he has shown enough potential to play regularly in the Premier League and should find he has a suitor, whether that is in January or next summer. From Liverpool's perspective, next summer would mark their final opportunity to get a decent fee for the 'keeper.
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For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
