Liverpool's Caoimhín Kelleher has a case to be the Premier League's best backup goalkeeper. The 24-year-old has been an admirable understudy to Alisson Becker throughout his young career at the club.
Despite making just 24 appearances in his entire tenure at Liverpool, several of those games came at a massive stage, namely in the 2022 EFL Cup Final where he started ahead of Alisson and scored the decisive penalty in the thrilling 11-10 shoot-out that Liverpool won after Chelsea keeper' Kepa Arrizabalaga blazed his penalty over the bar.
While Kelleher established himself as a goalkeeper Liverpool could rely on in the biggest of stages, he'll have a lack of those particular opportunities because ahead of him in the pecking order is the greatest goalkeeper in the world Alisson Becker.
That brews up a situation where Liverpool must decide whether to keep Kelleher as a reliable back-up or cash in on him while his value is high.
Future Number One
Kelleher no doubt has the talent and ability to play for Liverpool consistently but with Alisson as the number one, it'll be a struggle to keep the Republic of Ireland international happy with the minimal game time he receives. Regardless of that, Kelleher is the future number one at Liverpool and while he is a backup at the time being, he's already contributed to winning trophies more than most starting goalkeepers in football.
That's the advantage of playing for a big club that plays in multiple competitions as when fit, Kelleher will play all domestic cup games as well as Europa League fixtures which Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp enjoys rotating his team.
Kelleher can easily play 20 games this season if Liverpool go far in their cup competitions and could potentially win one or more with the immense quality they have in the squad.
The Club Should Cash In
Liverpool signed Kelleher in 2015 from Ringmahon Rangers and eight years on, valuations around £ 20 million are being estimated for the goalkeeper which would be a major profit considering the club acquired him as an 18-year-old.
As a backup, the club may see Kelleher's potential sale as one that's too good to turn down and could even place a buy-back clause in his contract similar to what Manchester City did with Roméo Lavia when selling him to Southampton in 2022.
Should Kelleher become a world-class goalkeeper in the future, a buy-back clause will allow the club first refusal to purchase him and at seven years younger than Alisson, he would be in for a long stint as Liverpool's number one should this hypothetical situation miraculously occur.
LFC Verdict
For a team like Liverpool who regularly compete in several competitions, a reliable second-choice goalkeeper is a necessity.
Having to possess a keeper who knows they'll only play exclusively in cup competitions while being good enough to sub in for someone like Alisson Becker is an unbelievably tough job but one Kelleher performs diligently.
There's no positive in selling Kelleher and it's one Liverpool have rejected in the past and one I believe they should continue to rebuff.
Should Liverpool keep the Irishman or receive a huge transfer fee and sell him on in the summer?
