OPINION
Simon Mignolet has seemed destined for the Anfield exit door ever since the club signed goalkeeper Alisson last summer, yet he is still a Reds player.
He wasn’t allowed to leave a year ago because Loris Karius was loaned out instead, and Jurgen Klopp needed a quality back up to the Brazilian international.
However, it appears something might be about to give. The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that Liverpool are interested in Burnley ‘keeper Tom Heaton, a potential arrival that would surely leave Mignolet staring an exit in the face.
Earlier this summer, Klopp told the Reds’ official website that he expects the Belgian international to remain at Anfield for next season, despite him making just a handful of appearances last term.
Look, we all know what Mignolet is. He’s a decent, but flawed shot-stopper, who has served the club well over his 204 appearances for them [Source: Transfermarkt], but he will want first team football sooner or later and you can’t blame him for that.
When you consider how well Tom Heaton performed for the Clarets last campaign, where he eventually rebounded from serious injury to beat out Nick Pope and Joe Hart for a starting spot, it’s clear that his arrival would push Mignolet out the door.
As per WhoScored.com, the 33-year-old averaged 3.1 saves per game last term, with 1.8 of them coming from inside the penalty area. Those are terrific tallies, showcasing how well the England international does despite the volume of strikes coming at him.
It remains to be seen if Heaton would want to come to Merseyside to sit on the bench behind Alisson, but if he does come, he will surely prove the end of Mignolet.
