Liverpool has created an impossible benchmark for four of its Premier League ‘big six’ rivals as they strive to get what Jürgen Klopp has had for five years.
A big reason Liverpool hasn’t sold Caoimhín Kelleher this summer, even though his departure could be lucrative, is surely that it would be difficult to find as good a back-up to Alisson Becker for a realistic price.
Kelleher is the perfect deputy to the Brazilian because he’s stylistically similar — Jürgen Klopp has hailed him as ‘the blond version of Ali’ (via liverpoolfc.com) — and also a quality goalkeeper in his own right, one who could start for multiple Premier League teams.
Still, there’s never been a question that Kelleher could truly challenge Alisson, instead simply rotating in when he’s unavailable or when cup competitions present an opportunity for changes. Liverpool has a clearly established number one and number two, a far cry from the early Klopp days when Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius unconvincingly jostled for supremacy.
Premier League title hopeful Arsenal, however, is set to do things differently after striking a deal to sign David Raya from Brentford. Raya will initially join on loan, and then the Gunners will have the option to buy him for $34m (£27m/€31m) come the end of the season (via The Athletic).
With Raya set to pressurize the incumbent Aaron Ramsdale, Arsenal will publicly downplay any notion that there are doubts over the Englishman. The club will simply insist that competition is healthy, if not essential, in any squad, and that both goalkeepers can push each other to new heights.
But the reality is that, if Arsenal was 100 per cent convinced about Ramsdale, it wouldn’t be bringing in a supposed number two of this caliber. Mikel Arteta has led his side back into the Champions League and restored it as a title contender, and so it’s getting to the stage where any inadequacies will inevitably be brutally exposed. Ramsdale is a good goalkeeper, but he’s not in the very top tier.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if he remained in place for all of his side’s Premier League games, and Raya was the designated ‘keeper for the domestic cups and European competition.
Arsenal’s surprise move for the Spaniard continues a marked trend of top English clubs signing new goalkeepers this summer.
