Caoimhin Kelleher's transfer plans revealed on LIVE TV

Caoimhin Kelleher has been excellent as a backup to Alisson in Liverpool’s goal over recent years.

Yes, he made a mistake against Newcastle that cost Arne Slot’s side the three points, but overall the Irish goalkeeper has been a big part of the Reds’ rise to the top of the Premier League this season.

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Kelleher’s performances have come at an interesting time in the Liverpool goal. The club confirmed the transfer of Giorgi Mamardashvili during the summer for £30m, with the general consensus being that he was being brought in as the long-term replacement to Alisson.

It looked like a great succession plan. Buy Mamardashvili, sell Kelleher next summer and then have the Georgian step into Alisson’s shoes the year after.

The decision was a disappointment to Kelleher, who revealed in September that he wanted to leave Liverpool.

“The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper [Mamardashvili],” Kelleher said while on international duty. “From the outside looking in, it looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.”

It means Kelleher is likely to leave the club next summer, despite his excellent form in goal over the past few months.

And his former manager at Ireland, John O’Shea, has revealed the most likely destinations for Kelleher once he does leave Liverpool.

John O’Shea names Kelleher's next club

John O’Shea works closely with Kelleher at international level as Ireland’s assistant manager, so is well placed to speak about his future.

“He’s unflappable,” O’Shea said on Premier Sports’ coverage ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Newcastle on Wednesday. “He’s a great character and he’s everything you want from your goalkeeper.

“It’s brilliant that he’s showing that consistency again and I think, for him, he’s going to have lots of teams all around Europe looking for him and I’m sure they’ll be knocking down the doors very soon.

“I know for a fact there will be lots more teams looking at him because I just think he’s a number one, top European goalkeeper.”

When asked about where Kelleher may end up, O’Shea added: “It could be London, it could be Newcastle, you never know - there’s lots of teams [interested].”

Where will Kelleher move?

Newcastle are an interesting option for Kelleher, who would have to come in and replace Nick Pope in goal. The Tyneside club have struggled with PSR regulations in recent windows, so a transfer there would likely need to be funded by the departure of someone like Alexander Isak.

London seems more of a likely destination for Kelleher, but where? Arsenal are happy with David Raya in goal, while Ange Postecolgu and Spurs haven't shown any desire to replace Guglielmo Vicario despite his recent injury.

That leaves Chelsea as Kelleher's most likely destination. Robert Sanchez is one of the biggest weaknesses in the side, and manager Enzo Maresca likes his goalkeeper to play out from the back, something Kelleher excels at.

While Kelleher has been waiting for a chance to become number one at Liverpool for a long time, it seems like there’s nothing he can do to convince the club of his suitability for the role.

His performances this season have led to many Reds fans speculating that the club could decide to cash in on Saudi interest in Alisson next summer. Selling the Brazilian and letting Kelleher and Mamardashvili compete for the jersey would be a controversial move, but Alisson’s injury record is poor for a goalkeeper and could potentially get worse as he turns 33 next year.

The recent run of games has seen Kelleher make what feels like a final claim to become Liverpool’s number one, but it looks like it will have been made in vain once again.

Slot recently confirmed that Alisson will be back in goal before the end of December, which all but confirms the fact that there is nothing Kelleher can do to replace him.

Even if the club decide to move Alisson on, Kelleher would still be taking a big chance if he decided to stay to fight for the role, as he could just end up being backup to Mamardashvili as well.

All signs point towards an exit next year.

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