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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Alisson Becker has accidentally highlighted growing Liverpool goalkeeper problem

It was such an impressive achievement, Liverpool had a special shirt made to commemorate the event.

After helping the Reds continue their strong end to the season with a 1-0 Premier League home win over Brentford on Saturday evening, Alisson Becker was given a goalkeeper jersey with the number '100' on the back to signify reaching a century of clean sheets for the club.

The Brazilian became just the seventh shot-stopper to manage such a feat, with only Pepe Reina, Ray Clemence and Bruce Grobbelaar having reached the landmark in fewer than the 229 starts the current number one required.

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Reason to celebrate, of course. But it also unwittingly highlighted a goalkeeping issue Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp could well face during an already busy summer in the transfer window.

With Alisson the undisputed first choice between the sticks, opportunities have been rare for his understudies Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian. The Brazilian has missed just two of Liverpool's last 85 Premier League games, a spell during which he featured in all 25 Champions League fixtures.

Kelleher has played just three times - all in domestic cup competitions - since his Wembley heroics in helping Liverpool win the League Cup by beating Chelsea after a penalty shoot-out in February last year, while Adrian's outing in the Community Shield win over Manchester City last July remains his most recent appearance and only a third for Liverpool since October 2020.

The 36-year-old Spaniard has long been accepted as the third-choice goalkeeper and, out of contract in the summer, is expected to leave at the end of the season. Liverpool may choose to elevate an Academy goalkeeper, with Harvey Davies perhaps the best placed given his regular training sessions with the first-team squad, to replace Adrian next term.

The situation with Kelleher, though, is not quite so clear-cut. Now aged 24 and having served a lengthy apprenticeship both in the Liverpool academy and as part of the first-team squad, the Republic of Ireland international is approaching a crossroads in his time at Anfield.

Kelleher stated after his appearance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City a few days before Christmas that he would assess his position at the end of the season. Given he is likely to have only played a further 90 minutes - keeping a clean sheet at Wolves in the FA Cup third round replay the following month - he will no doubt face some hard thinking.

Liverpool understand Kelleher's current situation but, similarly, are also mindful of the long time the goalkeeper has spent developing through the ranks, along with his undoubted talent and elite-level experience. No value has been put on the player, but it would be expected to be north of £20million.

And there certainly wouldn't be any shortage of suitors, particularly in the Premier League where a number of goalkeeping positions could soon be up for grabs. Brentford and Brighton have previously been linked with an interest, while reports in Kelleher's home country Ireland have indicated Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring his situation as they prepare for possible life without captain Hugo Lloris.

Should Kelleher go, he would need replacing. And that would be no easy task for Klopp and the Liverpool recruitment team, who would require at the very least an experienced shot-stopper capable of deputising for Alisson at short notice.

Liverpool, of course, have been here before under Klopp, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah having previously been the established front three to such an extent potential new arrivals were dissuaded from entertaining a move to Anfield for fear of lack of game time.

At least there were three positions to compete for in that instance. There is, though, only one goalkeeper, meaning should anyone arrive in the close season, they will do so in the knowledge they will have to usurp arguably the world's best to gain regular minutes, should Alisson remain injury-free.

Much, though, will depend on the path Kelleher prefers his career to take next season. Liverpool may need to act quickly.

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