Liverpool reportedly want Alfonso Pastor, a signing that would pile the pressure on Caoimhin Kelleher. The Reds would have two promising young goalkeepers.
AS claims Liverpool are one of a few clubs looking at Alfonso Pastor. The Sevilla goalkeeper is out of contract in the summer and can move to a new club for free.
Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Villarreal all want the player, while Sevilla hope to give him a new contract. You don’t get stronger competition than that out of La Liga.
Pastor would arrive as the long-term competition for Alisson, apparently. Liverpool would put the Spaniard in their Under 23s to begin with and then move him up to the first-team after a year.
From then, he’d compete with Alisson for a place – no easy task, though someone has to do it.
Liverpool are clearly looking at their future with this one, then. Pastor would be someone who effectively takes Adrian’s spot on the bench within a year and then becomes the big long-term hope to succeed Alisson.
Though, it’s not as simple as that.
Caoimhin Kelleher v Alfonso Pastor
Caoimhin Kelleher is essentially in the exact spot Pastor would take. He’s a couple years older – 22 – but has that ‘long-term successor’ role.
In fact, Kelleher already has Adrian’s spot, having usurped him as Alisson’s backup earlier in the season. The Irishman looked good, too, and appears to be a reliable choice for Liverpool.
Signing Pastor would heap pressure on Kelleher, then. Right now, it’s clear that he’s got a comfortable place as the backup and he’s only going to get better. Put another talented young goalkeeper in the mix, however, and his future isn’t so assured.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, Liverpool do have a plan for Kelleher. They’d want to loan him out somewhere next season, giving him the next step in his career.
After all, he’s never had regular football at a level relevant to Liverpool. They’ll want to see how he performs over a full season, preferably in the Premier League.
Succeeding on loan, though, is no easy task. You have to immediately fit into a new club and be so good that they want to play you every week. They’re not going to give you games otherwise, as they have no interest in your long-term development.
We saw how Harry Wilson, for instance, actually did okay with Bournemouth but couldn’t get into the side once they were worried about relegation. That’s not a unique story.
This signing would pile pressure on Kelleher, then. He’d have to perform out on loan and make a fine impression. Otherwise, he could find his spot isn’t there anymore once he returns.
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