A former Manchester City player has implored one member of Arne Slot’s squad at Liverpool to move on from Anfield in the near future.
Caoimhin Kelleher hasn’t been afraid to publicly state his desire to establish himself as an undisputed starter, a status he’s never truly had for the Reds despite many superb performances, and he was the subject of a derisory offer from Nottingham Forest at the end of the summer transfer window.
The Irishman has been outstanding in recent weeks while deputising for the injured Alisson Becker, and it’s no surprise that LFC reportedly value him at £30m (Nottinghamshire Live), but Slot has already declared that the Brazilian will go straight back into the starting XI once he’s fully fit.
Given urges Kelleher to leave Liverpool
Speaking to The Mirror, Shay Given insisted that Kelleher now needs to move on from Liverpool for the betterment of his career, having proven that he’s more than worthy of being a firm first-choice in the Premier League.
The ex-Man City goalkeeper said: “Caoimhin played 26 games last season, and in that time he showed that he has the talent to be a number one in the Premier League; but he turns 26 later this month and, if I am brutally honest, he needs to get away from Liverpool if he wants that to happen.
“Kelleher would have been disappointed to hear Slot state publicly that Alisson will always be his first choice ‘keeper because everyone wants to go into training every day with the belief that they are fighting for a place in the team.
“Every professional footballer has to have that hope that if they get a place in the team and perform well then they will keep the jersey. Caoimhin hasn’t got that. It has been made clear to him that he will always be behind Alisson – and let’s be honest, he is up against a guy who is one of the best in the world.
“Caoimhin turns 26 later this month. He’s done his time at Liverpool. That’s no disrespect to a brilliant club but they are now starting to think that they can’t hold Kelleher back for much longer because he is a quality player.
“Maybe Caoimhin has been too nice about it up to now because sometimes you do have to force the issue. That isn’t a nice situation. He has been very loyal to Liverpool and he won’t want to upset the fans.
“At the same time, you only have one career, one life and one opportunity to make the most of what you’ve got. Ten years down the road, he could be 36 and people are talking about him as being over the hill.”
Liverpool must only sell Kelleher for his true value
As much as Liverpool fans would hate to see a goalkeeper as outstanding as Kelleher leaving Anfield in the coming months, it’s difficult to argue with Given’s assessment.
As the ex-Republic of Ireland international said of the country’s current number 1, he turns 26 next Saturday and is long since past the point of being regarded as a future prospect. For context, Alisson was 25 when the Reds spent just under £67m to sign him from Roma in 2018.
The Corkman’s hopes of becoming a fixed first-choice on Merseyside are further complicated by the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili next summer, with the Georgian stopper surely expecting not to be third in the pecking order when he teams up with Slot and co.
Kelleher has been remarkably patient in biding his time at Liverpool behind the Brazil goalkeeper, but across two extended spells in the team over the past year, he’s proven to be more than good enough to be number one at any Premier League club, not just a side trying to stave off relegation.
In the increasingly likely event that the Reds cash in on the Irishman next year, it’s imperative that they only sell him for his true value, which starts at £30m but could justifiably go higher in today’s market.
