Liverpool have acquired a long-term replacement for Alisson Becker after signing Giorgi Mamardashvili in a transfer worth up to £29 million – leaving Caoimhin Kelleher with a big decision to make on his future.
Subject to international clearance, the 23-year-old will join the Reds from Valencia, where he will remain for this season before moving to Anfield in 2025. The Merseyside outfit have reportedly agreed to pay an initial £25m plus £4m in add-ons.
The Georgia goalkeeper was one of the stars of Euro 2024 in the summer after putting in a series of top performances in Germany, helping the side reach the last-16 of the tournament.
It’s a great move by Liverpool and shows they are putting in place a succession plan for when the most important players of the Jurgen Klopp era eventually move on.
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It’s a plan that even Alisson Becker approves of, even if Mamardashvili is poised to be his successor. “The club needs to prepare for the future,” the Brazilian said recently. “We are not going to last forever here, I am getting old!”
He added: “They will do it for different positions as well. We have so many important players with the contract expiring and the club needs to organise themselves for the future.”
Alisson also revealed that he received an “attractive” offer to play in the Saudi Pro League, where a number of former Premier League stars have moved to earn incredible amounts of money.
But with two years left on his contract, he has no interest in leaving Liverpool just yet. “I want to honour my contract and finish my contract here or make a new one. I am really happy here,” he insisted.
With a new, top goalkeeper arriving and Alisson going nowhere, that leaves Kelleher at something of a crossroads in his career. He has been at the club for nine years, but should he stay for a tenth?
Save after save after save.
Take a bow, Caoimhin Kelleher 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Hjq9gXh4lK
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 26, 2024
The Irishman has been a highly dependable number two behind Alisson, started in two victorious League Cup finals, and picked up Champions League, FA Cup and Uefa Super Cup winners medals as part of the first-team squad.
Whenever he has filled in he has done a more than admirable job, particularly last season when he made ten Premier League appearances, the most of his career in a single campaign. He’s been able to play a small but important role in Liverpool’s recent successes, while learning from arguably the best netminder in the game and playing under one of the greatest managers of our time.
It has been an experience that few young goalkeepers are lucky enough to be exposed to, but Kelleher is no longer a youngster. This November he will turn 26 without ever being the first-choice in his position.
At some point he will need to decide what his career is going to be: a benchwarmer who gets the odd opportunity to show his quality at a top club, or a regular starter, likely further down the food chain.
It’s not an easy decision. Kelleher has only ever known Liverpool, he’s always dreamed of being the number one, and probably still does. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but he will never know unless he takes the plunge.
There are numerous Premier League clubs that would be lucky to have him.
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See Also – Four Premier League players in transfer limbo
