Liverpool WILL move for direct replacement with 25-year-old expected to leave

Liverpool will move for a direct replacement if they do indeed sell their 25-year-old player this summer. A deal is expected to happen.

TeamTalk claims Liverpool will move to replace Caoimhin Kelleher this summer if the goalkeeper leaves the club. It's certainly expected that he will do.

Kelleher is now 25 and at a time in his career where he wants to be a regular no.1 goalkeeper. That's incredibly difficult to do at Liverpool, with Alisson Becker arguably the best in the world.

Until now, the Irishman has survived on scraps, playing when Alisson is out injured. That has led to quite a few games, admittedly, with the Brazilian's injury record surprisingly poor for a goalkeeper.

Kelleher won't want to rely on those injuries for much longer, though. Alisson is only 31 himself and could conceivably play at the elite level for another six years - if all goes well.

And if things did play out that way, Kelleher would be into his 30s and still waiting to be a first-choice goalkeeper. It shouldn't be any surprise, then, that Liverpool may grant him a transfer.

How to replace Caoimhin Kelleher

Replacing Kelleher won't be too easy. You're essentially looking for a goalkeeper who can perform at the highest level but is okay with barely featuring.

The Reds only ended up with someone as good as Kelleher in the no.2 role because they developed them himself. There is no obvious replacement from within.

So what's the move? Finding a young player who can quickly develop would be fantastic, as would a deal similar to that which secured Adrian - an older goalkeeper who wants his shot with an elite club.

Liverpool must shop around, really, and use the £25m they reportedly want for Kelleher to find themselves a reliable backup. After all, it's not a signing they can make carelessly - Alisson's injury record means the signing will likely play at least 10 first-team fixtures.