Liverpool will have a “luxury problem” to deal with in the goalkeeping department this summer as Alisson will remain the club’s No 1, says Sander Westerveld. The former Liverpool goalkeeper, 50, says the in-form Brazilian will remain first choice next season even after the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili and the presence of Caoimhin Kelleher, but is unclear who should provide immediate cover. Advertisement Georgian Mamardashvili will join this summer when the 24-year-old’s loan spell at Valencia ends, while Kelleher, who has featured in every competition for Liverpool for the second season running, has proven a reliable understudy.
But with only one year left on the 26-year-old’s contract , his situation remains uncertain. “I was very surprised when Liverpool signed Mamardashvili,” says Westerveld, who played for Liverpool between 1999 and 2001. “I follow Spanish football and I know how good this guy is.
I said after the last Euros that he was the best goalkeeper in the Euros. This season he has been criticised a little, but I’m not worried. It’s obviously for the No 2 spot, as Alisson will be the No 1.
“With Kelleher, I think his time has come to play regularly as a No 1 somewhere. In the Premier League and Championship, he could be a great goalkeeper for almost any team. “He’s a quality goalkeeper and he needs to play.
As a fan, I would like him to stay a bit longer, but then Liverpool would have two of the best goalkeepers in Europe (behind Alisso.
