Portuguese heavyweights Benfica are considering making a summer move for Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, according to A Bola.
The Portuguese outlet claims that the Belgian is one of two players who have moved to the forefront of the Eagles’ goalkeeping search, after their deal for Juventus shot-stopper Mattia Perin fell through.
The Primeira Liga champions are mulling over a deal for either the Reds ‘keeper, or Roma’s Alisson replacement Robin Olsen, with Real Sociedad man Geronimo Rulli seen as a more expensive option.
The 31-year-old has made a total of 204 appearances for the European champions since his move from Sunderland [Source: Transfermarkt], but saw his starting spot usurped by the aforementioned Alisson last season.
OPINION
Even though Mignolet is very much an Anfield veteran at this point, with over 200 appearances under his belt, the fact is that only a handful of them came in the most recent campaign. The arrival of Alisson and the Brazilian’s impeccable form saw the Belgian reduced to insignificant domestic cup games; in which he performed pretty well, to be fair. Liverpool know what they have in Mignolet, and that’s an extremely high end back up. However, a high end back up for the Reds is a starting-calibre ‘keeper for most all other teams, and Mignolet will be aware of that. He knows that he’s good enough to start for a big team like Benfica, and so if the Portuguese giants make a good enough offer then he will surely be off to Lisbon this summer. Jurgen Klopp doesn’t want to lose the stopper, but the thought is that if the Reds get a large enough bid, they will allow him to leave. That’s fair enough, but it remains to be seen if Benfica will pay what Liverpool want, or merely pursue a deal for Olsen instead.
