Liverpool set to repeat Sadio Mané transfer plan if Jürgen Klopp gives ‘green light’

Liverpool set to repeat Sadio Mané transfer plan if Jürgen Klopp gives ‘green light’

Jürgen Klopp will have to navigate a tricky transfer situation for Liverpool this summer, and may need to crack out the playbook from the Sadio Mané sale.

Not many Liverpool players can say they’ve performed at their absolute best for the whole campaign. One who can, though, is Alisson Becker.

The Brazilian has often been the most reliable player for Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool this season. Helping the team out when under pressure, and performing remarkable saves that leave everyone wondering how what they saw was even possible.

Sadio Mané (Getty images)

But the downside to having a world class goalkeeper in your ranks is that your second choice is often not going to get much game time. And that’s especially difficult when that player is Caoimhín Kelleher.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool is reportedly considering making a move to sign a new back-up goalkeeper to Alisson this summer. This would be in the event of Kelleher leaving the club.

It has been reported that several clubs have expressed an interest in signing Kelleher on loan this summer. But it has also been stated that, while no specific clubs have been named, a number are waiting for Liverpool and Klopp to give the green light on a potential loan deal.

The report also mentions that Kelleher is keen to seek a move in search of more regular first-team football. And given his numbers this season, you would not blame him if that were the case.

Kelleher has made just three appearances in all competitions this season, and none of them have come in the Premier League. By comparison, the Republic of Ireland international featured eight times last season, with two outings in English football’s top flight.

Just 11 appearances over nearly two seasons of football is nowhere near enough for a player of Kelleher’s ability. The player himself will know it, Klopp will know it and it’s likely that Liverpool will know that, too.

It would come as no surprise if a whole host of clubs are indeed interested in signing Kelleher. What will be interesting to see, though, is the part about the loan deal.

At the age of 24, a loan move may not be the best move for either Kelleher or Liverpool. He would likely want a permanent home to nail down a regular starting spot, with the Reds almost certainly wanting to receive a good transfer fee while they can.

Of course, it must be said that this is all just pure speculation at this moment in time. But you do have to wonder how much longer Kelleher will be content to sit on the bench.

Klopp has never refused to let a player leave the club if they come to him and express a desire to leave. The most recent example was with Sadio Mané last summer, before he secured a $44m (£35m/€40m) move to Bayern Munich.

There have been other examples on top of Mané as well. If you just look at goalkeepers, Simon Mignolet was in the exact same situation in 2019 before he requested a move to return to his homeland with Club Brugge.

Were Kelleher to express a desire to leave Liverpool this summer, and it’s still a big if at this stage, then that would leave the club with a decision to make. Unless there is a belief that loans can mollify the Irishman all the way through until such a time as Alisson needs replacing, a permanent deal would surely make the most sense.

At this stage, it’s clear that Kelleher deserves to be playing much more than he is at the moment. And if the player himself decides that it’s time for a new adventure elsewhere, then Liverpool have to be prepared for all eventualities