It would be a world record fee for a goalkeeper, but he could turn out to be a bargain for the club.
Liverpool have been linked with a summer transfer for Roma goalkeeper Alisson Becker for the last few months. After the horrendous errors by Loris Karius in the Champions League final, where the German gifted Real Madrid two goals with two disastrous blunders, the club look set to intensify their search for a new ‘keeper.
However, it appears Roma are preparing for Liverpool to make an approach for their talented goalkeeper and may have increased the asking price after Saturday’s horror show in Kiev.
According to reports, the Serie A side want €90m (£79m) for the 25-year-old, who will be Brazil’s first-choice ‘keeper at the World Cup. Real Madrid are also said to be interested in Alisson, while Roma hope to resist any bid until after the World Cup.
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are said to be very keen on the player. However, the report in The Guardian claims that they, “ultimately may be put off by what would be a record fee for a goalkeeper.”
Hopefully, for Liverpool’s stake, this is just a negotiating stance to try to drive the price down. Because they should pay whatever price necessary if it means they will have a great goalkeeper next season.
Liverpool’s need for a top-class ‘keeper long pre-dates Karius. It could be argued that, during the Premier League era, every goalkeeper that has played for the club, exception for Pepe Reina, failed to convince that they were good enough. Or they were prone to costly blunders.
From David James to Jerzy Dudek, Sander Westerveld to Simon Mignolet, Liverpool’s ‘keepers were dropping clangers long before Karius.
However, none of their errors ever proved as costly as the German’s mistakes in the Champions League final. If those disastrous errors don’t spring the club into action to sign a world-class goalkeeper, then nothing will.
If Liverpool are prepared to break the world transfer record for a defender – as they did when they bought Virgil van Dijk in January for £75m – then why not do likewise for a goalkeeper?
Alisson could become their first-choice goalkeeper for the next 10 years. He’s an excellent shot-stopper and capable of playing from the back. He is Brazil’s first-choice ahead of the equally impressive Ederson, who is currently the most expensive goalkeeper in the world after Manchester City paid Benfica £35m for him last summer.
Very few people still question Ederson’s price tag, the same applies to Van Dijk or any other big-money signing who has proved their worth. Liverpool should act quickly and match Roma’s asking price, because they can’t afford to go into a new season with their current goalkeepers. If they don’t, Madrid may beat them again and try to sign the Brazilian goalkeeper themselves.
