Caoimhin Kelleher has developed enough of a reputation to have as many as five teams willing to test both he and Liverpool’s resolve in the summer, per a weekend report.
Kelleher is the Premier League leaders’ current number two behind Alisson, with Georgian keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili also tipped to be in line to succeed the Brazilian as the main GK at Anfield.
And he has made it clear that becoming a number one is priority number one.
“I’m good enough, and I want to go out and prove it,” the 26-year-old said on international duty with the Republic of Ireland last September.
“I’ve made it clear in the last few years that I want to go and be a No. 1 and play week in, week out. The club’s made that decision to get another goalkeeper, and from the outside looking in, it looks like they’ve made a decision to go in a different direction.”
If Kelleher does indeed decide there is too much traffic in front of his path to priority game time at his current club, TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey is reporting a considerable list of suitors for his services elsewhere.
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List of teams linked to Caoimhin Kelleher
The report cites Chelsea as one of the teams interested in the Irishman, with Enzo Maresca’s side seeming to struggle with current number one Robert Sanchez whose five errors so far this season make him the joint worst EPL shot stopper in that respect.
Bailey appears to consider the Blues as the most interested of the five, with fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle and Bournemouth also mentioned by name.
With the Magpies and the Cherries expected to be in the market for a new goalkeeper at the end of the current campaign, it’s understandable that they’re regarded as not far behind Chelsea in terms of the strength of their interest.
Behind those three, Nottingham Forest are also mentioned. The current EPL surprise story failed to tempt Liverpool last summer, and while they’re said to retain some interest, they are believed to be happy with the current performances of Matz Sels which may soften their pursuit.
Ranked fifth of the five sides mentioned as tracking Kelleher’s situation, meanwhile, are a non-Prem club.
Scottish champions Celtic’s admiration of Kelleher goes back some time, but Bailey reports that the above teams’ interest likely makes the Glasgow club rank outsiders if a bidding war breaks out this year.
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