Liverpool are reportedly unlikely to block one player from departing Anfield this summer if he were to seek a move elsewhere.

The injury to Alisson Becker in February paved the way for Caoimhin Kelleher to enjoy a prolonged run of starts for the Reds, but the 25-year-old instantly dropped back to the substitutes’ bench once the Brazilian was fit enough to return in the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

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According to the Daily Mail‘s Lewis Steele, the Irishman is attracting renewed interest from Nottingham Forest, whose manager Nuno Espirito Santo was a goalkeeper in his playing days and is a ‘huge fan’ of our number 62.

It’s reported that Liverpool wouldn’t stand in Kelleher’s way if he wishes to move on in search of being an undisputed first-choice elsewhere, and the club’s next manager could be in the market for a new backup ‘keeper if the Cork native were to depart.

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Kelleher’s future has been a topic of discussion for some time now, and his excellent performances in deputising for Alisson over the past couple of months will surely have put him in the shop window.

Ex-Tottenham and USA goalkeeper Kasey Keller has urged the 25-year-old to consider a move away from Liverpool if he’s firmly second choice at Anfield, and with each passing summer, there’s a growing sense that the Irishman might yearn for a bigger billing elsewhere.

He deserves great credit for not expressing any desire to leave the Reds (publicly at least), but if he were to tell the hierarchy that he wants to try his luck at other club where he’d likely get regular game-time, it’d be difficult to deny him that opportunity.

Kelleher has never let his team down and has been very patient in waiting for his chance behind the imperious Alisson, and while obviously we’d love him to stay, we’d also understand if he were to seek pastures new.

One thing seems certain – he’ll have no shortage of suitors if he were to indicate that the time is right to move on from Liverpool, who in turn must use that to their advantage and extract the highest price possible for him. Anything shy of £30m shouldn’t even be entertained.

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One Liverpool player has been advised to consider whether his career would be best served by leaving Anfield.

Caoimhin Kelleher deputised commendably for Alisson Becker during the latter’s injury absence over the past couple of months, but the Brazilian was immediately restored to the starting line-up for the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday upon regaining fitness.

On Sunday night’s edition of ESPN FC, host Dan Thomas asked panelist Kasey Keller what the 25-year-old should do, with it being clear that he’s once again the Reds’ second choice in nets.

The ex-Tottenham and USA goalkeeper replied: “I’d have to play. I’d be leaving, for sure. I had that at Spurs. Spurs had made a decision at board level that they wanted to be young and British and I was neither, so we had a lot of conversations and I had the opportunity to go to ‘Gladbach in the break. I wanted to go and play.”

It’s a dilemma which has confronted Kelleher before. Does he remain loyal to the club which gave him his break in professional football, or move on in pursuit of being an undisputed first choice elsewhere now that he’s 25?

It’s been suggested by James Pearce that Liverpool would demand at least £30m for the Irishman, which is the minimum they should be asking for a goalkeeper who’s proven that he can excel at the highest level.

The Reds will surely want to keep him, even with Jurgen Klopp departing in a few weeks’ time, but if the Cork native were to desire a fresh start elsewhere, it’d be hard to deny him that opportunity.

You can view Keller’s comments in full below (from 6:59), via ESPN FC on YouTube:

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Not for the first time this season, Liverpool were indebted to Caoimhin Kelleher as he pulled off an exceptional early save against Atalanta at Anfield tonight.

Inside the opening five minutes, the Irishman was called upon to deny Mario Pasalic from close range, blocking the ball with his face as he well and truly put his body on the line for his side.

Subsequent camera close-ups showed visible scars on the 25-year-old’s left cheek after he took one for the team, and his teammates in front of him will have been breathing a sigh of relief after some ponderous defending in the lead-up to the Croatian’s shot.

Any team in the world would miss Alisson Becker, but Kelleher has made the Brazilian’s injury absence a whole lot easier to negotiate, with this save arguably the best of an impressive lot.

You can view Kelleher’s heroic save below, via @footballontnt on X:

What a stop from Caoimhin Kelleher!

How are Atalanta not ahead… 🫣#UEL pic.twitter.com/1MSQo96SOh

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 11, 2024

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Goalkeepers are accustomed to putting their body on the line, but Caoimhin Kelleher well and truly took one for the team in the opening minutes of Liverpool’s Europa League clash tonight.

The Irishman was called upon to make a heroic last-ditch save from a close-range Mario Pasalic shot inside the first five minutes against Atalanta, taking the ball in his face as he deflected it out for a corner kick.

The cameras panned to him shortly afterwards, and the 25-year-old’s left cheek bore a visible scar from where he blocked the attempt from the Croatian midfielder.

In an era where elite footballers are often accused of being overly theatrical, Kelleher summoned all of his warrior spirit to ensure that Liverpool didn’t concede an early goal tonight. He’ll be getting plenty of thanks from his teamates and manager in the dressing room afterwards!

You can see Kelleher’s scars below, via @SamueILFC on X:

Kelleher’s face after that outrageous save. pic.twitter.com/sAMwAsEiCC

— Samuel (@SamueILFC) April 11, 2024

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Liverpool fans will have been counting down the days for Alisson Becker’s return to our team but had Caoimhin Kelleher come closer to the ball in one moment, there could have been more urgency.

The Irishman tried his best to stop the shot that was fired towards his goal from Bruno Fernandes but was unable to do so.

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Although it meant Manchester United equaled the game, the prospect of losing our ‘keeper for 40 minutes could have led to worse repercussions.

An image shared by LFCTV’s Neil Mellor shows just how close we came to losing our No.62 in the Premier League.

You can view the image of the Kelleher incident via @NeilMellor33 on X:

Kelleher nearly got a hand to the Fernandes equaliser. If he had, he would be serving a 1 game ban and Liverpool would have played with 10 men from 50th min #Kelleher #LiverpoolFC #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/5peR8T7aaa

— Neil Mellor (@NeilMellor33) April 8, 2024

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Paul Jones admitted he’s been very impressed with Caoimhin Kelleher and his ‘unbelievable’ confidence levels for Liverpool of late.

The ex-Reds goalkeeper praised the Irishman’s ‘tremendous’ League Cup final performance.

“Losing Alisson, you are thinking it’s going to be tough gloves to fill. But he has come in – obviously he was tremendous in the League Cup final – and his confidence since then has been unbelievable,” the pundit told BBC Radio Merseyside (via BBC Sport).

“He gives confidence to the back four and he has made saves at the right time. He has done brilliantly.

“He is still 25, so he is learning the game still. He has got a great keeper to learn from.

“When you get your chance, that’s what you have to do and he has done that and that’s put him on the map himself.”

The former Ringmahon Rangers shotstopper has been heavily relied upon since Alisson Becker was forced to enter the treatment room.

The Brazilian international is expected to make a return to the first-team squad at some point in April.

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Caoimhin Kelleher keeps stepping up

Barring perhaps a couple of shaky performances between the sticks this term, our No.2 has been nothing short of remarkable.

That’s saying something given the calibre of the man – arguably the globe’s leading goalkeeper – he was replacing behind the backline.

Perhaps we need to attribute a great deal more to the calmness Virgil van Dijk inspires at the back, but we don’t want to take anything away from the consistency Kelleher has shown in Alisson’s absence.

Long may it continue!

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Buoyed by his excellent form for Liverpool in recent weeks, Caoimhin Kelleher enjoyed another good outing at the weekend.

The 25-year-old started for the Republic of Ireland against Belgium at the Aviva Stadium, where he’ll hope to be back for the Europa League final on 22 May, and he ended his 12th cap with a clean sheet against the nation ranked fourth in the world.

There was one particularly eye-catching moment during the first half in Dublin when the Reds goalkeeper took possession with Lois Openda bearing down on him.

Kelleher had ample time to pass to an unmarked defender or clear his lines if he wished, but instead he took a touch in his penalty area and, as the €50m (£43m) RB Leipzig striker caught up to him, simply dragged the ball away from the Belgian, who was left to complete a wild goose chase towards the byline.

We’ve often seen Alisson Becker exhibit some fancy footwork at Anfield, and his deputy at Liverpool showed that he also oozes confidence with the ball at his feet.

You can view Kelleher toying with Openda below, via @IrelandFootball on X:

The guards are to be rang pic.twitter.com/XY4QAadU2O

— Ireland Football (@IrelandFootball) March 25, 2024

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Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been lauded for how he’s earned the ‘trust’ of his teammates and manager at Anfield.

The 25-year-old took on the unenviable task of trying to compensate for the injury absence of the imperious Alisson Becker last month but he’s made it look straightforward, stepping up commendably for his team with a series of big performances in recent weeks.

Speaking on NBC Sports, former Manchester United stopper Tim Howard has noticed how the Reds’ defenders have full confidence in the Irishman behind them.

The ex-USA international said of Kelleher: “He’s taken on the form and the shape of Alisson. The way he plays, the way he breaks down and saves one on one, it looks like he’s a spitting image.

“That means he’s learned in training. He’s absorbed all the things that Alisson is showing him, and quite frankly that’s the easy part. The hard part is getting in the game.

“When you look at the Liverpool defenders – when I look at goalkeepers, does he have the trust of his defenders? Are they yelling at him? No, it’s the reverse. 

“He’s the one talking to Van Dijk. He’s the one getting all the plaudits and the high fives when he makes a save. They have trust in him; not only Klopp, but the players in front of him.”

Kelleher has now played nine consecutive games for Liverpool over the past six weeks, conceding only five goals in that time and never more than once in any match (Transfermarkt).

He’s pulled off big saves at a crucial juncture in several matches, with his best performance of the lot coming in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea last month.

The Irishman has had to be patient for a prolonged opportunity at Anfield, and his long-term future remains a topic of discussion, but he’s undeniably made the most of his chance in recent weeks, and the trust of his teammates has been emphatically earned.

You can view Howard’s comments below, via NBC Sports on YouTube:

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There were many fears when Alisson Becker picked up a long-term injury that it could curtail our title hopes but it’s impossible not to say that Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped up.

During a crucial game against Manchester City, the Irishman pulled off an amazing stop against Phil Foden and the reaction from Virgil van Dijk was great.

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Alongside the roar of a thankful crowd, our captain let out a bark of appreciation to his ‘keeper too.

As much as we all want our No.1 to be back fit and healthy soon, the 25-year-old is proving to be a more than able deputy.

You can watch Van Dijk’s reaction to Kelleher’s save (from 12:25) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Andy Robertson has heaped praise on one ‘unbelievable’ Liverpool player who’s made the most of the increased opportunities handed to him recently.

Reds fans may understandably have been fearing the worst when Alisson Becker was sidelined through injury last month, but Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped up commendably since then, with LFC winning every match played since he came into the starting line-up.

The Irishman gave another superb display in the 5-1 win over Sparta Prague on Thursday, ending the night with no fewer than six saves to give the final score a more comfortable complexion than how the match actually transpired (Sofascore).

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Robertson said of the 25-year-old: “He’s a different class ‘keeper. He’s so good with his feet, with his hands, and he makes important saves. Caoimh gets a run in the team, which is good for him.

“You can see the confidence he’s playing with. You can see that he believes that he can save every shot, and that’s what we need.

“We know how good Ali is. He’s the best in the world and now Caoimh’s shown that he can play at this level, play in the Premier League, and that can only help us. He’s been unbelievable since he came in and long may that continue for however long Ali’s gonna be out for.”

Alisson is expected to be sidelined until April (Evening Standard), which means that Kelleher is set to face both Manchester clubs over the next 10 days in two spicy showdowns which could go a long way towards potentially achieving a four-trophy haul this season.

It’s not a task which’ll faze the Republic of Ireland international, who proved his ability to perform on the big stage with a heroic display in the Carabao Cup final recently and has backed that up with three more stellar performances since.

To say that Kelleher has made the most of his extended run in the Liverpool line-up would be an understatement. It’s no exaggeration to say that Jurgen Klopp has two of the best goalkeepers in English football in his squad at Anfield, but of course he can only select one at a time!

You can check out Robbo’s comments on Kelleher below (from 1:30), via TNT Sports on YouTube:

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Conor Bradley fired the ball into his own net with his first kick of the game and it proved the only time that Caoimhin Kelleher was beaten in Prague.

However, it wasn’t the first time that the Irishman’s net was tested by his own player with Wataru Endo also firing a ball towards the stopper.

READ MORE: (Video) Kelleher and Gomez combine in dramatic goal-mouth clearances in Prague

It led to another superb reaction stop from our ‘keeper and the No.62 was at full stretch when he tipped the ball over his own crossbar.

With Alisson Becker’s return still a while off, we’re in safe hands with the 25-year-old that is currently guarding our net.

You can watch Kelleher’s save from Endo’s header (from 1:35) via TNT Sports on YouTube:

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Sparta Praha were much better than the 5-1 scoreline suggested against Liverpool, with the Reds owing a lot to the performance of Caoimhin Kelleher for there only being one occasion the ball was in his net.

One such moment came with the scoreline at 1-0 to Jurgen Klopp’s side and Lukas Haraslin given a golden chance to level the game.

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Unfortunately for the Slovakian international he was met with our No.62, who continued his fine form with a brilliant reflex save.

Joe Gomez then managed to hook the ball off the line before our ‘keeper could finally get the ball back under our control.

You can watch the Kelleher save and Gomez clearance (from 1:13) via TNT Sports on YouTube:

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It’s looking a wonderful day at the AXA training centre – and not just because of the weather.

Caoimhin Kelleher – despite the wild (and thankfully wide of the mark) rumours of his injury online – and Mo Salah were both spotted taking part in Liverpool team training.

This comes ahead of the Reds’ trip to Czech Republic in midweek to face Sparta Prague in the last 16 of the Europa League.

It’s a huge injury boost for the club, particularly with Manchester City’s upcoming league visit in mind at the weekend!

You can catch the clips below, courtesy of the Echo’s Ian Doyle on X:

Caoimhin Kelleher here too pic.twitter.com/tDahZ0fXek

— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) March 6, 2024

Mohamed Salah among those training here at Kirkby for #LFC today pic.twitter.com/4UPrRF4jrO

— Ian Doyle (@IanDoyleSport) March 6, 2024

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David Seaman believes Liverpool need to tighten their defence as they approach the Premier League title run-in with the former Arsenal ‘keeper reserving huge praise for Reds stopper Caoimhin Kelleher.

The Irishman has deputised for Alisson Becker in recent weeks with the Brazilian out of action with a hamstring injury.

Kelleher is often selected by Jurgen Klopp for domestic cup competitions but has received Premier League minutes of late and has not let his teammates down.

Our No.62 has kept three consecutive clean sheets (across all competitions), including the League Cup final defeat of Chelsea at Wembley, and has been labelled as the ‘perfect number two’ by the former England international.

“It’s the sign of a fantastic number two that Caoimhin Kelleher can come in and play his game right from the off,” Seaman said (as quoted by Irish Examiner).

“He doesn’t need time to get settled in or anything like that – he’s making big saves all the time. He’s the perfect number two.” 

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He added: “The worrying part for Liverpool is that him and Alisson are having a lot of work to do – that means their defence is not that tight and they’re giving away a lot of chances. That needs sorting out, but when you’ve got somebody like Kelleher coming in, it’s a brilliant asset for Liverpool to have.

“Then it depends on what he wants to do in the summer. If he’d prefer to leave, then someone like Jurgen Klopp isn’t going to get in his way.

“Obviously, Klopp isn’t going to be at the club at the start of next season, but he’s the type of person to realise and respect how good he’s been to the team and the squad and that if he wants to find a new challenge, he’d probably let him go.” 

The Daily Mail reported that Nottingham Forest offered a deadline day offer of £15m for Kelleher in the summer but was instantly rejected by Liverpool.

Klopp confirmed in a press conference recently that ‘it would have had to be a proper price’ for the Reds to even consider selling the Ireland international.

At the majority of clubs in the Premier League the 25-year-old would be a starter but unfortunately for him at Liverpool he has Alisson to contend with.

Our No.1 is recognised by many as the best ‘keeper in the world and it will be hard for Kelleher to dislodge him anytime soon.

It remains to be seen whether he will push for a move away in the summer but he’s proving again this term that he’s a terrific number two.

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Neil Jones has predicted that one Liverpool player will attract an abundance of transfer interest ahead of the summer, adding that the man in question could be facing a crossroads over his future.

In the absence of the injured Alisson Becker, Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped up commendably, delivering a heroic performance in the Carabao Cup final and posting a clean sheet in three consecutive games as the Reds’ quadruple charge remains on track.

The 25-year-old has had to be patient for regular opportunities at Anfield but has still been the subject of reported interest from the likes of Celtic, and the journalist believes that the Irishman’s recent displays will have put him in the shop window.

Speaking to EOTK Insider, Jones said of the goalkeeper: “The more games he plays, the more that clubs can get a gauge on where he’s at if they were looking to sign someone like him. It’s easy for Jurgen to say, ‘We’ve got this No.2 goalkeeper who’s brilliant’. Scouts, managers and sporting directors want to see them tested in significant games and on significant stages.

“This season we’ve seen Kelleher deliver, more often than not, in the Europa League, Premier League and Carabao Cup. I would be surprised if there weren’t a lot of clubs asking about him. I think there were a few in January and Liverpool rightly said no. I think there will be a few more in the summer and then it will come down to what the player wants to do.

“Jurgen was asked about him on Friday and said Liverpool have never had a situation where the player needs to shut up and stay put, but obviously, conversations have been had over how many games he might play. Clearly there is a degree of dialogue from Kelleher’s side about game-time and that might be one that comes to a head in the summer.”

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Kelleher’s future has long been a talking point among Liverpool fans – do the Reds retain a goalkeeper who’s proven to be more reliable than some first-choice stoppers we’ve had in previous years, or should they seek to cash in on an asset who could reap a tidy sum?

The 25-year-old’s valuation will certainly have shot up following his recent performances, and it’s far from unthinkable that LFC could bank as much as £30m if they were to let him join another club to become their undisputed number one.

Ultimately it’ll likely boil down to whether the player himself is happy to stay put and keep pushing Alisson, or seek to establish himself elsewhere in the realisation that displacing the Brazilian on a long-term basis could be an impossible task.

It’s very hard to predict what Kelleher will do, but what doesn’t seem in any doubt is that he’d have a lengthy queue of prospective suitors vying for his services if Liverpool were to put him up for sale in the summer.

Should that scenario arise, Anfield chiefs must extract every penny possible if they’re to part with a player who’d walk into almost every Premier League team and has been mightily unfortunate to find himself at LFC at the same time as perhaps the world’s best goalkeeper.

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