Simon Mignolet has enjoyed a bright start to his Liverpool career, even stretching back to his very first match at Anfield against Stoke. Saving Jonathan Walters’ penalty to ensure the Reds their first opening-day victory at Anfield since 2001 set the tone for the Belgian.
He has become an excellent shot-stopper and has also demonstrated his levels of concentration, making key saves in games where Liverpool have dominated and he has had little to do. Many goalkeepers switch off in these situations and consequently are then unprepared for any shot on target.
Yet recently against the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham, Mignolet has illustrated that this does not apply to him.
However, with Champions League football on the horizon next season, Mignolet will be experiencing a whole new level that he has not encountered before and his limitations may be revealed on the highest stage. The season has not been without faults; his communication skills and decision making have let him down at times, such as for Christian Benteke’s goal at Anfield to give Aston Villa a 2-0 lead. Furthermore, he is prone to a blunder, shown with the match winning goal for Manchester City at the Etihad where Alvaro Negredo’s shot really should not have beaten the Belgian.
Goalkeepers without competition can become complacent – arguably Joe Hart and Pepe Reina are examples of this – and perhaps Mignolet needs someone to keep him on his toes next season. With his place constantly at stake, he might find the extra incentive needed to go a bit further, be a bit more consistent and to not make mistakes, knowing that his position is on the line.
If any of these five goalkeepers arrived in the summer, Mignolet would definitely begin to worry. There are other candidates too, such as Petr Cech at Chelsea if Thibaut Courtois returned from loan and Iker Casillas from Real Madrid with Diego Lopez seemingly the No.1 choice. An older goalkeeper might be the wiser option as two younger ones would probably end with one of them leaving after just a single season.
Yet these examples emphasise how many of the top clubs now have two top goalkeepers for the long season. Liverpool should follow suit.
1. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Seen as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world, ter Stegen was (and may yet still be) on the cusp of joining Spanish giants Barcelona, prior to their transfer ban. If that ban is upheld, it is hard to see how ter Stegen could find a loophole allowing him to join the club he has been linked with for so long.
He may have to face reality, although with many other top European clubs chasing the German, reality is not so bad.
With his current club Borussia Monchengladbach having signed his replacement already in FC Basel’s Yann Sommer, there is no doubt that ter Stegen will be leaving, and at a decent price too, with the Barcelona fee being around £10m reportedly.
Ter Stegen would provide excellent competition for Mignolet, although it would be likely that one of them would leave the season after as both are young and do not want to be a second choice, which makes a quality older keeper a preferable choice.
However, if ter Stegen demonstrates a level in the Champions League that is beyond Mignolet, then the transfer will have been worth it as the Reds would have a world-class goalkeeper for the long term.
2. Ron-Robert Zieler
With just over 12 months left on his contract, Zieler is another upcoming German who could be available for a low price. At 25, he is older than ter Stegen but still young in goalkeeping terms.
It might be difficult for Liverpool fans to see a former Manchester United reserve play in front of the Anfield faithful, but if it made the team stronger, so be it. There are a number of German clubs interested in Zieler, including Schalke, but if Liverpool became serious they would be favourites.
Again like with ter Stegen there is the problem of two young keepers battling it out, but he also carries the same advantage.
3. Igor Akinfeev
Despite having signed a new deal at CSKA Moscow that keeps him there until 2019, Akinfeev has been linked with a move to Europe every summer now for the last five years.
Arguably the best goalkeeper in the world outside of the European leagues, Akinfeev would probably command a fee of around £15m, yet he has plenty of Champions League and international experience and is only 27.
At that age he will be entering his prime, and if he can replicate the form he has shown for countless years in Russia over in Europe, then he will become a genuinely world class goalkeeper.
4. Salvatore Sirigu
With the likes of Hugo Lloris and Iker Casillas being linked with a move to big spenders Paris Saint-Germain, Sirigu could find himself forced out from the French giants.
Nevertheless, there will be plenty of clubs willing to take on the 27 year old Italian, who is underrated in comparison with his fellow peers and has performed extremely well in the last couple of seasons for P.S.G, representing a key figure in their success.
P.S.G are hardly in dire need of money and are likely to sell Sirigu just to make space for the new arrival. Therefore the price for a goalkeeper of his class is likely to be low indeed, probably around £13m.
Like with the others above, his age means that the potential disadvantage of having two young keepers competing is likely, but Sirigu could be one of the bargains of the summer for Brendan Rodgers.
5. Kasper Schmeichel
Another player with Manchester United links, and another who, at 27, offers young competition for Mignolet. Yet Liverpool could sign the Leicester City goalkeeper, who has excelled in their promotion season, for absolutely nothing, allowing extra funds to be allocated on other positions.
Unsurprisingly Manchester United have been linked, as have Arsenal, and it may be a struggle to convince the Dane to move to his dad’s enemy, but it would be the cheapest possible method of solving this problem. Additionally, it would keep Mignolet focused and his game would develop for no cost.
If Schmeichel becomes a world beater, then he can take Mignolet’s place. If not, he can be sold for a big profit as he carries lots of potential. Consequently this transfer is arguably more about incentive for Mignolet than any of the others above, as they would all likely replace him, whereas that is far more doubtful with Schmeichel.
A new goalkeeper arriving is a serious possibility this summer, and therefore Mignolet will need to be at his best to make sure that he remains the Liverpool No.1 goalkeeper for the long term.
Daniel Agger (who Mignolet gave a black eye at Old Trafford) might not be the only one who’s after him!
A new keeper is a must as Brad Jones is just not good enough.
Alex mccarthy would be good. Contrary to popular opinion there are some really good english keepers. Why the hell do we need to go abroad all the time?
Ter Stegen if Barca miss out.
Nice article. I agree that mignolet does need to improve in areas other than shot stopping. Namely distribution, mentality in big games, communication. It’s often forgotten that he looked very nervous on his debut, and has looked nervous in some other big games. However I view him as very young and should improve. All the names you mention, with possible exception of Schmeichel, would expect to start so would spell the end for mignolet. I think Mignolet deserves another season as No. 1 to see how he progresses. I think he’ll improve.
karl darlow would be a good one for the future. or why not push the boat out and try for joe hart? pellegrini will want one of his chums from spain in goal for citeh next season so why not try for him?