Republic of Ireland boss wants to see Caoimhin Kelleher leave Liverpool in January
Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to secure a move in order to become a first-choice keeper elsewhere
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has suggested that he would like to see Caoimhin Kelleher leave Liverpool ahead of the January transfer window.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper has made 12 appearances for the Reds this season but returned to the bench earlier this month following Alisson Becker’s recovery from a hamstring injury.
Caoimhin Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to secure a move in order to become a first-choice keeper elsewhere, fully aware of his position in Liverpool’s pecking order.
Head coach Arne Slot has acknowledged that Alisson is the undisputed number one when available.
However, Kelleher’s summer move failed to materialise, and Nottingham Forest had bids for him rejected in the past two transfer windows after falling short of Liverpool’s asking price.
The Reds have already agreed a £29m deal to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia next summer, leading many to believe that Kelleher, who has established himself as Ireland’s first-choice goalkeeper over the past year, will eventually get his wish to move on.
In a recent interview, Hallgrimsson was asked about the playing situation of both Kelleher and Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.
He admitted that he wants both players to get more game time at the club level, hinting that Kelleher may need to leave Anfield in order to secure regular first-team football.
“We would like our players to play,” he said, as quoted by the Irish Mirror.
“I will answer this question the same way whoever it is; as a national team coach, you would always like to see your players playing.
“Whether it’s Evan or someone else. It’s our preference. We would like our players to play. The same with Caoimhin.
“We don’t know if he’s going to play games for Liverpool even though he’s done brilliantly. Should he go and try to play somewhere else?
“It applies to everyone. For a national team coach, of course you would like your players to be playing all the time.”
On Ferguson, Hallgrimsson added: “It depends on so many things.
“Is he in a good mind? Is he being developed at the club?
“He’s playing now with good players playing really good football. Is it more beneficial to be in that environment than maybe going somewhere lower quality and playing some matches?
“It depends on who we are talking about, the club we are talking about, it’s an open question. There’s never one answer for everyone.”
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