While the Ireland squad currently boasts three talented goalkeepers, it’s fair to say that none of the trio are currently in an ideal situation at club level.
Caoimhín Kelleher looks unlikely to get his expected move from Liverpool this summer, with few suggestions that an exit from Anfield is imminent. As well as that, the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili in 2025 makes his prospects at the club even more bleak.
Mark Travers is in a similar situation at Bournemouth, acting as backup at the club. The imminent arrival of Kepa on loan from Chelsea is likely to knock him even further down the pecking order.
Now, Gavin Bazunu is suddenly facing an uncertain future at Southampton.
The Dubliner was never going to feature during the first half of the Premier League season, with Bazunu out of action until the new year on the back of a serious injury he suffered last season. However, it would have been hoped that he would return to the side after regaining his fitness.
That now looks incredibly unlikely. Southampton are set to sign Aaron Ramsdale for a fee of around £25million to act as the club’s no. 1 this season.
🚨🔴⚪️ Aaron Ramsdale to Southampton, here we go! Deal in place after official bid revealed earlier today.
Fee will be £24/25m add-ons included, agreed with Arsenal.
↪️🇪🇸 Arsenal are now prepared to go for Joan García from Espanyol in the next 24h! pic.twitter.com/qpMO5Wbk5n
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2024
In all, the club situation of Ireland’s three goalkeepers looks incredibly uncertain.
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Should Hallgrimsson Be Worried About Ireland’s Goalkeepers?
There is no doubt that Ireland have three very talented goalkeepers, with Caoimhín Kelleher in particular having shown that he is capable of performing at the highest echelons of the club game. Gavin Bazunu has done the same at international level, even if his form at Southampton has been mixed at times.
Heimir Hallgrimsson is likely to go with Kelleher as his no.1 for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign. However, outside of possibly a couple of Carabao Cup ties, that is likely to be the Cork man’s only football this side of Christmas.
Mark Travers could well end up playing the most football out of the three if he can secure a loan or permanent move away from Bournemouth, although he seems quite a bit behind the other two in the international pecking order at the moment.
The situation involving all three is far from ideal.
Set to turn 26-years old in November, Kelleher has never acted as a first choice goalkeeper in his career. He clearly has the talent to do so, but he needs to get an opportunity soon or else he could miss out on fulfilling his full potential.
As for Bazunu, his recent injuries are not his only concern. Once viewed as one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in world football, he has had plenty of ups and downs at Southampton. The latest of those could see him leave the club altogether, something that would likely see him leave the Premier League.
Bazunu has made playing consistent minutes a priority throughout his career and would likely push for a move away from Southampton in January.
It remains to be seen what happens with Travers, who like Kelleher has played far less football at this point of his career that you would have hoped for.
Goalkeeper remains a position where Ireland have plenty of options, but the situations that each of our three main options find themselves in are far from ideal at the moment.
Hopefully it won’t have an impact on Ireland’s fortunes over the next 12 months or so.
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