Liverpool star makes decision on transfer amid suggestion his ‘next step’ is to ‘kick on’ elsewhere
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has indicated that he wants to leave the Premier League giants during this summer’s transfer window.
The 25-year-old has progressed through the ranks at Liverpool and has made 47 senior appearances for the Premier League side.
Most of his outings for Liverpool came during the 2023/24 campaign. He impressed while deputising for the injured Alisson Becker and made 26 appearances across all competitions.
It has been widely reported in recent months that Kelleher is likely to leave Liverpool this summer so he can be a No.1 elsewhere next season and the club are already said to be eyeing his replacement.
“I do feel the next step for me is to be a No.1…”
In a new interview, Kelleher said he is not “pushing” to leave Liverpool but he is eager to “be a No.1” with “Liverpool or somewhere else”.
“It would be great if that happened at Liverpool, but I’m not silly. I know that Ali has been the best goalkeeper in the world for years,” Kelleher revealed during an interview with The Athletic.
“I’ve had such an amazing time at Liverpool. It’s been a crazy journey for me and one that I’ve absolutely loved. I love the club, I love the fans and I have a great relationship with the players and the staff. Whether it’s here at Liverpool or somewhere else, I do feel the next step for me is to be a No 1.”
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“I wouldn’t say I was pushing (to leave) last summer but saying, ‘Look, I need to kick on for my career’. Jurgen said, ‘If anything happens to Ali, we really need you to be there’. It worked out for the best this season because I played 26 games.
“There will be some discussions over the coming weeks. The club was busy with the manager leaving and appointing a new one. With all the new staff arriving, those talks will happen.”
He added: “It was the first time in my career that I’d had a spell like that and I loved it. I thrived on it. I’d been waiting for a moment like that. It was a massive opportunity for me to be Liverpool’s No 1 for that long.
“It was my time to show the level I believe I can perform at and the level people at the club think I’m able to play at. I proved that I’m good enough to play in the Premier League — I’m comfortable there. I’ve always had that belief in myself. Proving it to people was satisfying.”
Colombia international Luis Diaz is another Liverpool player being linked with a move elsewhere, with Barcelona mooted as a potential destination.
Diaz has struggled since returning from a serious knee injury and it has been suggested that Liverpool could cash in on the winger.
Barcelona’s financial situation may prevent them from signing Diaz, but a report in Spain suggests they are eyeing a ‘top signing’ this summer, with the Liverpool star and Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams identified as their main targets.
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