Liverpool actually received a ‘bizarre’ offer for ‘world-class’ player during the summer

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Liverpool summer’s transfer window was quiet compared to usual off-seasons, with Arne Slot choosing to not go overboard on new signings.

The Reds made just the two additions in goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and winger Federico Chiesa, with the former heading back to Valencia on loan for the season ahead of a return to Anfield in 2025.

With Liverpool also making just two major sales in Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg, there was little change in personal in the Reds playing squad even after the departures of Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara as free agents.

Yet things could have been different had Liverpool accepted one unusual offer this summer.

Liverpool rejected unusual Nottingham Forest offer for Kelleher

According to the Athletic’s James Pearce, Liverpool rejected an offer from Nottingham Forest for Caoimhin Kelleher made up of £7m plus goalkeeper Matt Turner, a package that the Reds immediately turned down.

Pearce said when asked if Kelleher had any transfer offers this summer: “To my knowledge, the only offers that were forthcoming were from Nottingham Forest at the end of the transfer window.

“It was £7m plus Matt Turner, who Liverpool had absolutely no interest in and then Forest came back with a marginally improved offer but again, nothing close to Liverpool’s valuation, which was around the £25m-£30m mark, so I find it a bit bizarre.

“It baffles me that there wasn’t a bigger kind of battle for his signature. Why would you sell Kelleher for £7m plus a backup goalie you don’t even want, that would have been nonsensical. The expectation now is that this will be Kelleher’s last year at the club.”

Liverpool should have pushed harder to sell Kelleher this summer

Hailed by Virgil van Dijk as ‘world-class’, Kelleher staying at Liverpool for yet another summer was quite the surprise, especially with the Anfield side essentially signing the Irishman’s replacement for next season in Mamardashvii.

And with Kelleher stating this week he wants to leave Liverpool, the Reds seemingly messed up in not pushing as hard as they could have in trying to sell the 25-year-old Cork-born goalkeeper.

Indeed, Kelleher is set for months on the bench behind Alisson Becker, and when January comes around, Liverpool need to give the Republic or Ireland international the move he has been waiting for for years, even if the offer is an unusual one.