“Pressure on him will now be different” – John Aldridge questions transfer fee involved in deal for 26-year-old Liverpool star to leave Anfield

John Aldridge believes Liverpool could’ve held out for a higher fee for Caoimhin Kelleher’s transfer to Brentford this summer. He said that the Reds could’ve tried to extract more money to help even out Florian Wirtz’s transfer.

Kelleher joined Brentford permanently this summer for a reported fee of £18 million. He had one year left on his contract at Anfield, but he was expected to remain the second choice behind Alisson Becker. With Mark Flekken moving to Bayer Leverkusen, Kelleher is likely to be the first choice for Brentford.

However, Aldridge believes the Merseysiders could’ve gotten a higher fee for the 26-year-old. He told Sunday World:

Aldridge added that the 2024-25 Premier League champions could’ve received around £36 million for Kelleher. He added:

Further mentioning how the pressure on Kelleher will be different, considering he’ll be the first-choice goalkeeper now, Aldridge said:

Kelleher made 67 appearances for the Reds across competitions, keeping 24 clean sheets and conceding 79 goals.

The Brazilian joined the Merseysiders from AS Roma in 2018 and has been exceptional for them. He has kept 127 clean sheets in 298 games for Liverpool, conceding 269 goals.

However, Alisson is 32 now and there is speculation about his future due to his injury concerns. His contract at Anfield expires in 2026 but it has an extension option of one year.

When asked about his future with the club during the international duty earlier this month, Alisson said (via SI):

The Brazilian goalkeeper, notably, made just 35 appearances across competitions in the 2024-25 season due to his injury issues. The Reds, meanwhile, are also set to welcome Giorgi Mamardashvili, whom they signed from Valencia last summer.

Aditya Singh

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 3 years. He boasts a total experience of over 6 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya’s journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur’s front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect’s with the club’s underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda ‘Long-form Editor of the Month’ award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric’s elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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