Transfer insider Dean Jones has urged Caoimhin Kelleher to move on from Liverpool this summer, believing that the Irishman’s career aspirations aren’t being met at Anfield.
The 24-year-old made his one and only Premier League appearance of the season in the final day draw at Southampton last weekend, which was just his 21st for the Reds since his senior debut in 2019 (Transfermarkt).
The goalkeeper has attracted interest from Tottenham, Brighton and Brentford, with the Merseysiders valuing the 10-cap international at £20m (Irish Independent).
After Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny publicly urged the Liverpool stopper to leave Anfield this summer in midweek (RTE), Jones echoed the 51-year-old’s advice.
The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “Kelleher, though, needs to go. I think he could be a really good goalkeeper for somebody and regular football will really move him on quickly. I think he’s got high aspirations.
“Maybe one day he could end up back at Liverpool, but I think it’d be a waste for him at the moment to just sit on the bench all season.”
It’s a tough one to call, for Kelleher has shown whenever he’s featured that he’s good enough to play for Liverpool, but is most unfortunate to be at the club at the same time as the peerless Alisson Becker.
Jurgen Klopp is incredibly reluctant to lose the Irish goalkeeper, insisting that it’d take an ‘extraordinary offer‘ for the Reds to part with the 24-year-old.
Many LFC supporters would surely love for him to remain at Anfield because of his abilities, but you couldn’t begrudge him a move to somewhere that he’d be undisputed first-choice, particularly with him now in his mid-20s.
The impending new contract for Adrian offers some leverage to cash in on Kelleher, in the knowledge that there’ll be at least one senior alternative to Alisson, although Liverpool may still seek to bring in another ‘keeper before sanctioning the Irishman’s departure.
A loan exit could grant the Cork native regular first-team football without severing his ties with the Reds, but whether he’d be willing to accept a temporary move at this stage of his career is another matter entirely.