You’d struggle to find anyone in Irish football who doesn’t want to see Caoimhín Kelleher settle somewhere he can enjoy regular first-team football.
The Corkman has been a crucial cog in the Liverpool machine for five years now but, with the world’s best goalkeeper ahead of you in the pecking order, chances in the starting XI are always going to be few and far between.
Alisson’s injury-proneness has afforded Kelleher more opportunities than one might expect as a “back-up,” with the Irish #1 currently amid another run as first-choice at club level.
However, Kelleher himself has said that this role will only be amenable to him for so long before he needs a move away to somewhere he can play more regularly.
Several outlets in the Scottish media have suggested that Celtic could be a potential destination for Kelleher, with 38-year-old goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel likely to retire within the coming years.
It could be an enticing proposition for Kelleher given the Irish connection with the club and the presence of his international teammates Adam Idah and Liam Scales in Glasgow. Celtic’s presence in the Champions League would also be a major draw.
However, fresh reports this weekend suggest that Liverpool’s asking price for Kelleher is likely to blow Celtic out of the water.
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Caoimhín Kelleher price tag likely to be too high for Celtic
8 October 2024; Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Celtic broke their transfer record this summer on two separate occasions. First up was the £9.5 million spent on Ireland striker Adam Idah in mid-August, before the Hoops broke their own record two weeks later in splurging £11 million on Arne Engels.
The move for Engels tested Celtic’s financial capabilities but they seem set to be completely outpriced by Liverpool’s ask for Caoimhín Kelleher.
Liverpool have consistently valued Kelleher above £20 million, and Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider has reported that that has now risen to between £25 and £30 million – a price tag that would be way too high for Celtic to consider.
Coming into September’s international window, Caoimhín Kelleher was frank in sharing his frustration that he had not been able to secure a move away from Liverpool.
With Georgian keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili acquired during the summer and sent back out on loan, it’s clear that Kelleher’s long-term prospects of first-team football at Anfield are questionable at best.
For him and for Irish football fans, a solution is required sooner rather than later.
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