Liverpool completed the much-anticipated signing of Alisson Becker in the summer. But how does the Alisson signing look halfway through his debut season?
How it looked then
There was plenty of hype surrounding Alisson before he ever made the move. It was there when he lined up at Anfield for AS Roma and remained impressive despite conceding five goals.
Liverpool paid a reported £66.8m for Alisson (per the BBC) – a world-record fee for a goalkeeper, until Chelsea later broke it for Kepa Arrizabalaga. That naturally furthered the hype and expectation from both fans and the club.
Pepe Reina’s decline and departure in 2013 resulted in five years of sub-par goalkeeping. This was the signing to finally fix that.
Judging Alisson at halfway
Alisson can already be considered the best since Reina. His impact on the defence is a huge part of Liverpool leading the Premier League, conceding just 10 goals so far.
The Brazilian has kept 13 clean sheets in the Premier League to lead the race for the Golden Glove. That’s only five short of last season’s winner, David de Gea, and just one behind Joe Hart’s winning tally in 2015.
Alisson’s distribution has been brilliant, he has made key saves, and he’s brought confidence to the defence.
We’re only halfway but Alisson already looks like a sensational signing.
Alisson’s future at Liverpool
Consistency over many seasons: that’s what Liverpool hope for next. Reina is a fine example once again. The Spaniard was the Golden Glove winner in each of his first three seasons, for instance.
Reina also performed when the team didn’t, winning Liverpool’s Player of the Season award after the disappointing 09/10 campaign.
That’s the benchmark for Alisson. One great season sets a great standard but he was bought for more than that. Like Reina, Bruce Grobelaar and Ray Clemence before him, Alisson must deliver over many years if he’s to reach the standing people believe he can.
One thing is for sure, however. He’ll be considered a hero, regardless of anything, if he helps to deliver the Premier League.