Liverpool player could push for summer move after Klopp blocked 2023 exit – and it’s not Mo Salah

Jurgen Klopp is rapidly coming to the end of his time at Liverpool, and the same could be true of various members of his current squad.

According to Football Insider, Anfield chiefs expect Caoimhin Kelleher to push for an exit from the club this summer in search of becoming an undisputed starter elsewhere.

The 25-year-old could easily have left the Reds last year amid strong interest from Wolves, only for his manager to block the proposed move to Molineux and persuade the Irishman to stay on Merseyside.

He wasn’t the only Liverpool player in high demand in 2023, with the club rejecting a seismic offer from Saudi Arabia for Mo Salah, whose future has come under the microscope again in recent days.

Kelleher’s eventual decision to stay at Liverpool was rewarded with a prolonged run of starts which formed the bulk of his 26 appearances this season, having been the beneficiary of Alisson Becker’s two-month injury layoff during the early weeks of spring.

However, despite pulling off a series of excellent saves in that period, the Republic of Ireland international found himself back on the bench as soon as the Brazilian was fit to resume playing, with Klopp making no secret of where the 25-year-old sits in the goalkeeping pecking order.

The German’s impending exit means that the new man in charge – most likely Arne Slot – could possibly decide to recruit a backup ‘keeper of his own choosing, especially if the current second choice were to push for a move away from Anfield.

Kelleher’s case for regular first-team minutes in the Premier League has been significantly strengthened by how he performed while deputising for Alisson, and Liverpool can expect plenty of interest in the Cork native over the summer transfer window.

We’d hate to lose him given how reliable he’s been whenever called upon, but we certainly can’t begrudge him the opportunity to be an undisputed first choice at another club, especially when he’s no longer a young prospect looking to make his way in the game.