A former Liverpool coach believes that one particular member of Arne Slot’s current squad would be good enough to play for another giant of European football.
Caoimhin Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to become a fixed first-choice goalkeeper, an opportunity he’s never truly had for the Reds due to Alisson Becker’s presence, and the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili in 2025 makes it even likelier that the Irishman will depart next year.
John Achterberg, who served as our first-team goalkeeping coach during Jurgen Klopp’s managerial reign, has now claimed that the 25-year-old could be an ideal option for Bayern Munich as Manuel Neuer’s long-term successor.
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Speaking on the LFC Transfer Room Podcast, the Dutchman said: “I don’t know how many conversations the club has had with him; maybe you can send him on loan.
“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.”
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If Vincent Kompany could get the Bayern manager’s job despite overseeing Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League last season, then it’s not farfetched to claim that the Bundesliga giants could plausibly move for Kelleher in 2025 if they’d be interested in having him.
As Achterberg rightly says, the Republic of Ireland international has never let Liverpool down. If anything, he’s been a vital presence at Anfield even during Alisson’s time at the club, offering a reliable option whenever the Brazilian has been injured.
The 25-year-old made an extraordinary save in the closing minutes of the win over Bournemouth last weekend, and he’s shown with his heroics in two victorious Carabao Cup finals that he’s a man who thrives on the big occasion.
With Neuer now 38 and surely approaching the end of his glittering career, Bayern would be wise to seek a goalkeeper of Kelleher’s credentials to replace him in the long-term, and our number 62 is certainly deserving of playing regularly for a club of such stature.
As much as we’d hate to see him leave Liverpool, it’s understandable that he wants to establish himself elsewhere at this point in his career, and we certainly wouldn’t begrudge him a move to Munich if the opportunity were to come up.
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