Football | Brentford close to signing new keeper

Is this a good bit of business for Brentford?

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is poised to join Brentford after the two clubs agreed a deal worth £12.5m, with performance-related add-ons potentially taking the fee to £18m.

Author | Ajay

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The 26-year-old Republic of Ireland international is expected to replace Mark Flekken, with the Dutch goalkeeper closing in on a move to Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga side are understood to have agreed a fee in the region of £8m for the 31-year-old.

Kelleher, who has one year remaining on his Liverpool contract, will leave Anfield following the arrival of Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgian keeper will join the Premier League champions in July and is expected to challenge Alisson Becker for the starting role.

Since making his debut in 2019, Kelleher has made 25 Premier League appearances and featured in over 40 domestic and European cup matches. During his time at Liverpool he has collected a Champions League medal, two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups and a UEFA Super Cup.

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Flekken, who joined Brentford from Freiburg in May 2023 for a reported £11m, has been a consistent performer. Prior to his arrival in west London he had recorded more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the Bundesliga across two seasons. In the Premier League, he has missed just two matches over two campaigns, keeping 14 clean sheets and registering three assists.

This would be a great signing for Brentford

Brentford is making a smart move by replacing their 32-year-old goalkeeper, who will turn 32 in 12 days, with a 26-year-old from Liverpool. This transfer involves an initial net outlay of £1.5 million and reflects the savvy decision-making of those people running Brentford.

Although Kelleher served as Alisson Becker's backup at Anfield, he significantly contributed to Liverpool's title success. He made 10 appearances in the Premier League, filling in for the Brazilian during times of injury and unavailability.

Kelleher performed exceptionally well, finishing among the top dozen goalkeepers in terms of save percentage and completed passes—skills that are quite important for a Brentford goalkeeper.