Chelsea 'plotting £35m swoop' for Liverpool star despite having 10 players in his position

Chelsea are reportedly ready to meet Liverpool’s valuation for Caoimhin Kelleher in the summer transfer window.

Kelleher has caught the eye for Liverpool in recent weeks while standing in for the injured Alisson in goal. He has four clean sheets in his eight games for Liverpool this season, helping Arne Slot’s side to win six and draw one of the seven matches since Alisson went down with a hamstring injury on October 5.

However, his form has only served to highlight the 25-year-old’s need to leave Anfield in search of more regular football, with Slot making it clear that Alisson will return to the starting line-up once he’s fit. Liverpool signed Giorgi Mamardashvili in the summer before loaning him back to Valencia for the season, meaning Kelleher would likely drop to third-choice next season.

Chelsea currently have the unreliable Robert Sanchez in goal and have identified an opportunity to upgrade their goalkeeper. The Sun reports they are willing to pay £35million to sign Kelleher in the summer, believing such a fee will force Liverpool’s hand, even if they would rather not sell to a direct rival.

There is reportedly competition from Napoli and Juventus, but Kelleher is understood to prefer to stay in the Premier League. Chelsea would surely need to offload some goalkeepers were they to sign Kelleher, given the ludicrous numbers they currently have on their books.

Enzo Maresca’s side have Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mike Penders, Gabriel Slonina, Luke Campbell, Ted Curd and Teddy Sharman-Lowe on the pay-roll, meaning Kelleher would become the 11th goalkeeper.

The Republic of Ireland star leaving the club he joined as a teenager in 2015 appears a matter of time, given Kelleher made no secret of the fact he was keen to join Nottingham Forest in the summer, but they did not meet Liverpool’s £35m valuation. “Obviously my intention is to do as well as I can and show my ability,” Kelleher explained recently.

Image: Getty Images) Getty Images)

“That is where my head is at with the situation. The best thing I can do is go and play well and maybe give the manager something to think about, give him a headache.

“But it does work both ways. I played so many times last season - and if you do well your valuation goes up because obviously the club is going to want a good profit. I was clear (in the summer) that I wanted to play first-team football, whether that was here or elsewhere. I wanted to be a No.1.

“That was my thought process – but it’s always been my thought process because obviously I am a football player and like every player, I want to play. I’m not going to enjoy myself or be happy sitting on the bench.”

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