Liverpool's Goalkeeper Dilemma: Alisson and Kelleher's Future

Andoni Iraola has barely found his office at the AXA Training Centre, but the size of his first decisions at Liverpool is already clear. The new head coach inherits a squad stacked with attacking talent, but with two glaring questions: who guards the goal, and who stands in the heart of his defence?

Those answers, some believe, could come from Brentford.

Alisson’s future, Kelleher’s dilemma

Alisson Becker remains the pillar of Liverpool’s recent era, and the club moved earlier this year to trigger an option extending his deal to the end of next season. Juventus have circled regardless, testing Liverpool’s resolve and the Brazilian’s own ambitions.

Reports in Brazil now point to Alisson resisting that pull. The expectation is he stays at Anfield for at least one more year. That decision stabilises one position for Iraola, but it sends ripples through the rest of the goalkeeping department.

Giorgi Mamardashvili, who made 20 appearances this season, sits in the middle of that uncertainty. Claims from Italy suggest his representatives have floated a loan move to Serie A clubs. If Alisson stays as undisputed number one, Liverpool must decide whether Mamardashvili develops in-house or elsewhere.

Into that picture steps a familiar name.

Caoimhin Kelleher left for Brentford 12 months ago in a £12.5m deal, chasing what he could never truly secure behind Alisson: a guaranteed starting role. He found it in West London and flourished, delivering the consistent, composed performances that had long marked him out as more than just a back-up.

His form has now sparked talk of a return.

Former Republic of Ireland, Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder Andy Townsend believes Kelleher has grown beyond his current surroundings.

“I think he's a very reliable goalkeeper,” Townsend said, speaking to OLBG. “He's developed into someone that I could see a bigger club than Brentford coming to take. When I look at Chelsea's goalie (Robert Sanchez), I don't think he even comes close to Caoimhin Kelleher.

“Brentford know they've got a good one, but it's got to be a bigger club. Brentford had a good season, but it's got to be a club like Liverpool or Chelsea. I remain convinced that he could do that.”

The problem is obvious. Kelleher left Anfield to escape the life of a cup keeper. He will not rush back to it.

“He doesn't want to go anywhere now where he isn't the number one, he's shown he can handle that,” Townsend added. “He's the national team number one by a distance. The last thing he wants to do is go to a club like Liverpool and find himself playing only 10 or 15 games a season. He's done that already. If he goes anywhere, he wants to go in as a number one.”

So the equation is blunt. If Alisson stays, Kelleher’s route back to Liverpool looks blocked. If Alisson eventually goes, Townsend sees a straightforward solution.

“I could totally see him going to Newcastle and being number one there, or Chelsea. If Alisson does decide to leave Liverpool, they could do a lot worse than Kelleher. They know him very well and whenever he played for Liverpool, he was always very dependable.”

For Iraola, that is the tightrope: protect the present with Alisson, or start shaping the future with a goalkeeper who will only return on his own terms.

Centre-back shortage and a Brentford answer

The other fault line in Liverpool’s squad runs straight through the centre of defence.

Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are the only senior centre-backs left after Ibrahima Konaté’s departure. Two highly rated youngsters, Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, sit in the wings, but both are working their way back from serious injuries. Promise, yes. Reliability, no. Not yet.

Liverpool need another defender. Townsend has a clear candidate: Brentford captain Nathan Collins.

“He's done really well, Nathan Collins,” Townsend said. “I know that Spurs have just signed (Marcos) Senesi from Bournemouth. I think Nathan Collins would have been a good fit for them.

“A boy playing in London, going to another London club, that can help. I think he could be a very talented centre-half. He had too many mistakes in him 18 months ago, but he seems to have eradicated a lot of that. And he's a tall lad, he's quick enough, and he can play. So I think he's ready for an opportunity now to go and show that he can go up a notch. I think he can do it, I really do.”

Collins has been forced to grow up quickly at Brentford. Errors that once dogged his game have been stripped back, replaced by a more ruthless streak that suits the Premier League’s demands.

Townsend has noticed that edge.

“I said a couple of years ago he was a little bit soft with his defensive work, giving away easy goals. I think now he's got better in that respect. There is a more ruthless element to what he's doing defensively now, he's a bit more solid.

“Because of that, I think certainly there's a number of clubs that could do with a player like him and would benefit.”

The sticking point, as always, is money. Brentford sell well, and Liverpool would have to decide whether Collins is worth the premium for a club that needs an immediate starter, not a long-term project.

“But whether Liverpool will be that and whether they would pay Brentford the sort of money they would want, I'm not sure, that is the only concern,” Townsend admitted. “But I think Nathan's got a lot of ability.”

So Iraola begins his Liverpool tenure with two clear fault lines and two potential answers wearing Brentford shirts. One, a goalkeeper who knows Anfield inside out but refuses to be anyone’s understudy again. The other, a centre-half whose game is hardening at exactly the right time.

How bold Liverpool are in testing Brentford’s resolve may tell us everything about how quickly Iraola intends to reshape this team in his own image.