After an excellent season, Caoimhin Kelleher's future as Liverpool's number two remains in doubt, which has seen the Reds reportedly turn their attention towards a possible summer replacement.
Liverpool transfer news
Whilst others such as Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk often stole the headlines throughout the season, Kelleher more than played his part out of the spotlight and in the absence of the often injured Alisson Becker. The Carabao Cup final particularly stands out for the Irishman, who stepped up alongside several academy graduates to help the Reds to another famous Wembley victory over Chelsea.
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Even after those heroics, however, Kelleher remains number two thanks to Alisson's position as one of the best goalkeepers that European football has to offer and a recent interview has sparked even further doubts about his Anfield future.
Kelleher told The Athletic: "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. 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.”
With that said, reports suggest that the Reds are certainly preparing for his exit. According to Mark McAdam and Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports, Liverpool have enquired about signing Alex Paulsen from Wellington Pheonix this summer alongside Chelsea, but it is fellow Premier League side Bournemouth who lead the race in a deal set to be worth £2m with add-ons.
As the summer goes on, it will be interesting to see whether Liverpool's place in the race to sign Paulsen changes if Kelleher decides to leave the club in pursuit of a number one spot elsewhere.
"Promising" Paulsen can become Alisson deputy
Not many, if any goalkeeper at all could replace Alisson as of right now. The Brazilian is still at the top of his game at 31 years old and still has plenty of years left in the tank to keep hold of that number of spot.
That's not to say Liverpool shouldn't be thinking about the future for Arne Slot, however, and make no mistake about it, the praise that 21-year-old Paulsen is getting makes him exactly that. Described as "promising" by Petar Petrov, who detailed his impressive stats, Paulsen's future is certainly a bright one.