Liverpool have reportedly made a £58 million bid to sign Brazilian international Alisson to solve their goalkeeping woes.
Liverpool have submitted a £58 million transfer offer in order to sign goalkeeper Alisson Becker from AS Roma, according to reports from Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t The Sun).
The 25-year old, who is also understood to be a top transfer target for European champions Real Madrid along with Premier League giants Chelsea, has been linked with a move to Liverpool all summer, given the Reds’ dodgy situation in the goalkeeping department.
Manager Jurgen Klopp currently has three goalkeepers vying for the first-team slot at the club, with Loris Karius, Simon Mignolet and Danny Ward all in contention. However, none of the three custodians have been able to convince that they have the quality to be a top-class option between the sticks.
Mignolet, who is currently away on international duty with Belgium in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, lost his place as the No.1 towards the end of last year, after a series of inconsistent and unconvincing displays.
His replacement, Karius, showed signs of promise in the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, only to cost the Merseysiders the UEFA Champions League trophy, with a disastrous display in the finals against Real Madrid. And Ward, on the other hand, hasn’t been trusted by the manager to offer a solution, despite the ongoing crisis.
Instead, Klopp had backed Karius to come good, despite that horror-show in Kiev a couple of months ago and had seemingly decided not to pursue a goalkeeper in the transfer window. But, the German stopper showed he cannot be reliable once again, after making similar errors in the pre-season friendly against Tranmere Rovers, which his team won 3-2.
His continued erroneous displays, coupled with the fact that Mignolet would be looking to leave Anfield this summer in search of regular football, has forced Klopp and Liverpool’s hand in making a move for the 25-year old Alisson.
It is being reported that the Merseysiders are offering £53 million in transfer fees, plus £5 million in add-ons and are willing to hand the goalkeeper a five-year deal worth £100,000 a week plus bonuses.
However, Liverpool will have to stave off competition from Real Madrid, who are also keen on signing the Brazilian superstar. With Zinedine Zidane no longer at the club, current first-choice Keylor Navas could find himself facing the prospect of an exit, with Madrid president Florentio Perez intent on revamping the team’s goalkeeping options. The report also claims that Alisson would prefer a move to the Spanish capital, further complicating matters for the Reds.
The Brazil international has emerged as one of the most promising shot-stoppers across Europe over the past year. Last season, the 25-year old featured 49 times for the Giallorossi across all competitions, managing 22 shut-0uts in the process.
Alisson was also part of the Brazil national team that got eliminated in the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup. The goalie made five appearances in Russia, conceding three goals in the process and keeping three clean sheets.
Given Liverpool’s current situation, they are in a more desperate need of a goalkeeping reinforcement than Los Blancos. And they seem to have taken the first step in addressing that issue by tabling a bid for Allison. However, a deal is far from being done yet and it remains to be seen if the 25-year old chooses Merseyside over Madrid.
