Jurgen Klopp may have lost all of his three finals as a Liverpool manager, but the way his side reached the finals of the Champions League last season shows that he is taking the club in the right direction.
The howlers by Loris Karius means that Liverpool are back in the transfer market for a shot-stopper and one name constantly doing the rounds is Alisson Becker.
Liverpool Step Up Alisson Pursuit
A transfer target for the likes of Real Madrid and PSG as well, Alisson has suddenly turned into one of the most exciting shot-stoppers in world football at the moment. He has been linked with a move to Anfield for quite a while now but AS Roma are understandably reluctant to sell.
However, they are sure to receive offers for their star and reports suggest that they are ready to let him leave for around £80m. This will break the record for a GK, currently held by Manchester City’s Ederson, who cost £35m. So should Liverpool break the bank for Alisson?
Why They Need Him
The Reds started the season with Simon Mignolet as the first choice GK. Loris Karius acted as the backup while Danny Ward spent the entire season as an understudy. But the lack of progress from Mignolet saw Karius take up his place in the first team, since the turn of the year.
The German, though had his weaknesses, turned into one of the best GKs in the league statistically at least and it looked like Liverpool have found a solution to their goalkeeping issues.
However, his performance in the UCL final against Real Madrid showed that at 24, he still has a long way to turn into the first choice for a club at the level of Liverpool, leaving the Reds in search for a GK this summer.
While Ward did well last season at Huddersfield Town, it does not look like Klopp trusts him too much so it does not come as a surprise that they are looking at one of the best prospects in that role in Europe at the moment.
Should They Meet His Valuation?
The Reds broke the bank for Virgil van Dijk in January, as he was a desperate necessity at Anfield. His inclusion in the squad certainly made an impact and was crucial to their run to Kyiv. They spent £75m on him, and as expected, he solves a great part of the defensive issues that were pulling the club back in the previous season.
The amount spent shows that Liverpool are ready to splash the cash on players they desperately need and Alisson falls into that category. With great reflexes, shot-stopping abilities and even better control with the ball at his feet, the 25-year old is a certain upgrade on Mignolet, who is expected to be sold this summer.
They are also interested in Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak, who has a release clause of €100m (€88.8m). The Atletico Madrid man is easily among the top-5 shot-stoppers in Europe and will cost just £10m more than Alisson. Oblak is certainly the better option of the two but Alisson is also an upgrade on the current options and is a player Liverpool should go all in for.
Do you think they should look to sign Oblak or go with Alisson this summer?