Liverpool are reportedly not pursuing a deal to sign Iker Casillas from Porto in the summer.
According to a report in the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool have been left baffled by reports linking Iker Casillas with a summer switch to Anfield, as they are not pursuing a deal for the former Real Madrid goalkeeper.
Casillas progressed through the ranks at boyhood club Real Madrid before making the grade in the first-team squad in 1999 at the nascent age of 18. The Spaniard subsequently embarked on a storied career for both club and country, as he laid his hands on every trophy there is to win in club and international competition.
However, after a glorious 25-year career with Real Madrid, Casillas left Real Madrid in controversial circumstances when he joined Porto in 2015. The switch to Portugal has seen the shot stopper maintain a high level of performances, helping the club to some impressive defensive records.
Casillas conceded a mere 23 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions, keeping 23 clean sheets in the process. And while his reflexes may have taken a hit slightly in the last few seasons, the player has shown that he still hasn’t lost his legendary goalkeeping prowess.
Having shown that he still has the ability to compete at the top level, Casillas has been linked with a switch to the Premier League. Liverpool, in particular, have been heavily linked with a summer move for the veteran goalkeeper, but it has now emerged that there is no substance in those speculations.
The report suggests that Liverpool are not interested in signing a goalkeeper in the summer transfer window, with Jurgen Klopp focusing on making reinforcements in other positions instead.
For the longest time, a goalkeeper was believed to be one of the priorities for the Liverpool boss, as Simon Mignolet and summer signing Loris Karius frustrated with their inconsistent performances for the club.
However, Mignolet embarked on a resurgent run of form in the latter half of the campaign – a run of stellar performances that proved to be key in Liverpool finishing in the top four, especially in some of their closely contested matches.
Meanwhile, Klopp continues to have faith in Karius who, he believes, can learn further alongside the more experienced Mignolet, while Danny Ward is an able third-choice option. Hence, even though Casillas is potentially an appealing short-term option, Klopp is of the belief that he does not need improvements between the sticks.
Having said that, a busy window of transfer activities awaits Liverpool ahead of the return of European football next season, and it will be interesting to see which players make a switch to Anfield.
