Bruce Grobbelaar is pleased with the way that Alisson Becker has started his career on Merseyside and with the value placed on having a top goalkeeper in the modern game.
When Manchester City spent £35million to sign Ederson from Benfica last summer, there was an outcry as many felt that spending so much on an unproven goalkeeper was unwise and that the money could be better spent elsewhere.
Given that the Citizens went on to win the Premier League, conceding just 28 goals in the process of becoming centurions, the £35million outlay on their ‘keeper is justified and the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea took notice.
The Reds spent £67million signing Alisson, which was a world record until the Blues signed Kepa Arrizabalaga for a whopping £71.6million. As a result, Bruce Grobbelaar has said he is happy that goalies are being recognised and valued highly in the modern game.
“It’s nice to see that they [good goalkeepers] are valued for what they’re worth and they should be worth exactly the same as a striker,” Brucie said.
“For [Liverpool] to break a world record on a goalkeeper and then Chelsea to break that record, it shows that goalkeepers are now as renowned and revered in the team.
“Jürgen has gone out and paid a world-record price for a goalkeeper and now that goalkeeper has to [live] with that world-record tag on his shoulders.
“Thankfully, it’s not a world record anymore, so it took the pressure off him.”