Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson as a possible replacement for Caoimhin Kelleher this summer.
The Reds have been blessed to have Alisson between the sticks since the summer of 2018, during which time he has become one of the greatest ‘keepers of his generation.
That has meant that Kelleher has had to invariably watch on from the sidelines, but he has still done his bit for the cause, filling in impressively in domestic cup competitions, not least when helping Liverpool win the EFL Cup in 2022.
Kelleher could reach the stage where he needs to be a No.1 somewhere, however, and there is no sign of that happening at Anfield for the foreseeable future.
Should the Irishman move on at the end of this season, a strong replacement needs to come in, and journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon [via Empire of the Kop] claims that Patterson is being lined up by the Reds.
Jurgen Klopp is believed to see him as a good option, having impressed for Sunderland since breaking through from the youth team, making 105 appearances for the Black Cats and keeping 32 clean sheets in that time.
Our thoughts on Patterson replacing Kelleher at Liverpool…
This summer does feel like the right time for Kelleher to bring an end to his time as a Liverpool player, with the 25-year-old too good to be warming the substitutes’ bench most weeks.
The Republic of Ireland ace is never going to oust Alisson for the Reds, but he is more than capable of being first-choice for a lower-ranking Premier League side, or a Championship team chasing promotion.
Patterson would be a good successor to Kelleher for Liverpool, having been described as a “top goalkeeper” by former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray, and at just 23, there is still so much more to come from him.
The Black Cats won’t be happy to lose him, considering he has started all 27 Championship games for them so far this season, but moving to Anfield is something that could be too good to turn down, even if he knew that regular minutes wouldn’t be coming his way.
