Arne Slot gives surprising response to Caoimhín Kelleher wanting to leave Liverpool

The 25-year-old has made it clear he wants to be a starting goalkeeper.

The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper opened up publicly about his disappointment at Liverpool's decision to reject a bid from Nottingham Forest on transfer deadline day and added that he believes he is "good enough" to be a first-choice keeper.

Kelleher spoke to the media while on international duty, and said: "I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out.

"The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper," he added. "From the outside looking in, looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.

"It has been reported that Liverpool had rejected a few bids as well. It is not always in my hands to make the decision. My ambition is to prove I am good enough to play week in, week out."

Kelleher impressed as Alisson Becker’s deputy at Anfield last season, and was on the radar of several clubs over the summer.

During the last days of the window, Nottingham Forest offered a transfer fee plus a player – goalkeeper Matt Turner – in exchange for Kelleher.

The Reds, however, rejected the bid as it did not come close to meeting their valuation of the player, which is between £25m and £30m.

This morning, Slot addressed his goalkeepers' candid comments during his pre-match press conference, and made it clear he had no issues with the former Ringmahon Rangers man's desire to succeed.

The new Liverpool boss, somewhat surprisingly, appeared to have no issue with his player's comments.

"I would be really worried if a player came out and said ‘I don’t care about playing first team football, I like it so much on the bench and want to stay there for the rest of my life’. That would be a bigger worry for me," said Slot.

"It’s normal that he wants to play, but it’s also normal at a club like this, who tries to compete for trophies, has more than 11 players that can play.

"As long as they can accept their situation, not accept it in a way like ‘I don’t care that I’m not playing’, but accepting it by helping the team whenever you have to, then it’s a good place to be in."

Arne Slot on Caoimhín Kelleher: "I would be really worried if a player comes out saying 'I don't care about playing first team football, I like it so much on the bench I want to stay there for the rest of my life!'"

➡️ https://t.co/QJ71IW90h9 pic.twitter.com/UmGXNi6hsT

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 13, 2024

He continued: "Caoimhín has shown many times in the last few years and even in pre-season, that he’s ready when we need him every time. It’s a good thing that he wants to play.

"Who knows if he will play for us in the future? But at this moment I think it’s quite clear that Alisson is the number one.

"Last season Caoimhín played many games, so it’s a normal situation for a player to be in if you are not playing and you want to play, but he handles the situation really well."

On the bright side for Kelleher, he will likely remain the first choice for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Ireland this year as Gavin Bazunu looks set to be sidelined until early 2025.

The Boys in Green have two Nations League clashes away to Finland and Greece to come next month, before they conclude the campaign in November.