Liverpool transfers: Reds MUST cash in on Kelleher, Phillips and Van den Berg

Richard Hughes has quite the job on his hands as Liverpool sporting director. 

Not only does he have to negotiate key contracts with skipper Virgil van Dijk, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and the legendary Mohamed Salah, all while ensuring new manager Arne Slot has a squad capable of competing in the upcoming season, but he also has to make sure the club sell well. 

Over recent years, the Reds have struggled in the transfer market. 

Whereas it used to be a strength of theirs during Michael Edwards’ first stint with the club, Liverpool have struggled to cash in on their squad players. Nico Williams was sold to Nottingham Forest in 2022 for £20 million but he’s the exception rather than the norm. 

The likes of Nathaniel Phillips and Caoimhin Kelleher have been priced out of moves on multiple occasions. And the same thing appears to be happening this summer. 

The Reds have rejected a reported £4m bid for the centre-back while no club appears to be willing to match the £25m valuation placed on the Republic of Ireland shot-stopper. 

You can also throw Sepp Van Den Berg into the mix too. The Dutchman is believed to be valued at around the £20m figure and this has priced Mainz out of a move while PSV Eindhoven are reportedly only interested in the centre-back at closer to the £14m mark. 

Van den Berg, Phillips priced out

On one hand, Liverpool’s firm stance is a positive. They aren’t going to be bullied in the market. But they aren’t in a position of strength right now and that is what makes their stance so problematic this summer. 

For example, Van Den Berg, who joined Liverpool for a fee of £1.3m, has a contract until 2026. Having impressed in the Bundesliga last term, his stock has never been higher. Anything north of £10m should be entertained unless there are genuine plans to give him an opportunity in the first-team next season. If not, it just seems like a wasted opportunity to bring in some decent money for a squad player. 

After all, If he’s just sat around playing random cup matches next term, his value will drop as his deal winds down. 

That is what happened with Phillips. At one point, it looked as though he might command a fee in the region of £20m after helping Liverpool secure Champions League football. Fast forward a few years and the Reds are hoping to get £8m for him before his deal expires next summer. 

For a smart club, they have made some stupid decisions in the transfer market over recent years. Especially when it comes to selling and this leads us nicely onto Kelleher. 

No team wants to pay Kelleher fee

He’s been linked with a move away from Anfield for the best part of three summers now. With every passing season as a bit-part player, his price diminishes. 

Liverpool will cite the James Trafford deal as a reason for their Kelleher valuation. The 21-year-old moved to Burnley from Manchester City for £19m last summer. However, he was playing  regularly and impressing for Bolton before the move. The Clarets overpaid for him, but they were paying for potential as much as they were quality. 

Kelleher barely plays. Yes, he did well last season filling in for Alisson but he’s essentially an unknown over an entirety of a campaign. Clubs aren’t going to pay a premium for a player whose best season to date involves just 10 league starts. 

They aren’t going to pay a premium price for a player with just two-years left on their deal. They aren’t going to pay big money for a player who has basically come out and said he wants to leave for first-team football. Liverpool want as much as possible for Kelleher but they need to be reasonable. 

Every man and their dog knows he wants to be starting. The new Republic of Ireland manager even said he should be playing as often as possible. 

How long can this continue?

When asked about Kelleher, Heimir Hallgrimsson said: “Of course, especially when he showed everyone that he can play at the highest level. It would be a shame if he’s not playing regularly after he has already shown everyone how good he is, the level he played at.”

Celtic were in need of a goalkeeper this summer after Joe Hart retired and Kelleher was touted as a possibility. The Scotland champions opted to instead bring in Kasper Schmeichel on a free transfer and Aston Villa youngster Viljami Sinisalo for £1m. 

Unless a shot-stopper is playing regularly, it is difficult to command such a high fee. Liverpool know this and yet their stance appears to be unwavering. But how long can this continue for? The longer this lasts, the weaker their hand becomes. They need to start banking money for these assets.