Three players have transferred directly from Liverpool to Chelsea during the Premier League era.
The first was Yossi Benayoun in 2010, followed by Fernando Torres and Raul Meireles in 2011.
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Chelsea are now reportedly eyeing..Continue Reading
According to The Sun, Liverpool are hesitant to sell Kelleher to a direct competitor but might accept a bid in the region of £35 million.
Kelleher has expressed a desire to become a first-choice goalkeeper, having spent five and a half seasons as Alisson Becker’s understudy. At 25 years old, he could find a better opportunity to secure the No. 1 spot at Stamford Bridge.
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However, Chelsea’s interest in Kelleher might surprise some, given that they already have 10 goalkeepers under contract.
Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen are currently vying for the starting role under Enzo Maresca, while Kepa Arrizabalaga, Djordje Petrovic, Marcus Bettinelli, Mike Penders, Gabriel Slonina, Luke Campbell, Ted Curd, and Teddy Sharman-Lowe are also on the club’s roster.
Kelleher has made eight appearances for Liverpool this season but is expected to see limited playing time again with Alisson nearing a return from injury.
Despite this, the Cork-born goalkeeper remains first choice for his national team, the Republic of Ireland.
On Sunday night, Kelleher earned his 20th senior cap in a 5-0 defeat to England at Wembley. This marked his third appearance at the iconic stadium, where he previously played a pivotal role in two EFL Cup final wins against Chelsea.
Former Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has backed Kelleher, stating he has proven himself capable of being a Premier League starter.
Given told The Mirror: ‘Caoimhin played 26 games last season and in that time he showed that he has the talent to be a No 1 in the Premier League. But he turns 26 later this month and, if I am brutally honest, he needs to get away from Liverpool if he wants that to happen.
‘Kelleher would have been disappointed to hear [Arne] Slot state publicly that Alisson will always be his first choice keeper because everyone wants to go into training every day with the belief that they are fighting for a place in the team.
‘Every professional footballer has to have that hope that if they get a place in the team and perform well then they will keep the jersey. Caoimhin hasn’t got that.
‘It has been made clear to him that he will always be behind Alisson – and let’s be honest he is up against a guy who is one of the best in the world.
‘Caoimhin turns 26 later this month. He’s done his time at Liverpool. That’s no disrespect to a brilliant club but they are now starting to think that they can’t hold Kelleher back for much longer because he is a quality player.
‘Maybe Caoimhin has been too nice about it up to now because sometimes you do have to force the issue. That isn’t a nice situation. He has been very loyal to Liverpool and he won’t want to upset the fans.
‘But at the same time, you only have one career, one life and one opportunity to make the most of what you’ve got. Ten years down the road he could be 36 and people are talking about him as being over the hill.’
Liverpool are currently leading the Premier League standings, having amassed 28 points from their opening 11 matches under new manager Slot. In contrast, Chelsea sit in third place with 19 points.
Kelleher played a key role in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield in October. The two sides are set to face off again at Stamford Bridge in May.
