With one signing completed and a new contract agreed, Liverpool look to have settled the future of their goalkeeping department for life after Alisson.
Alisson has long been and remains the best goalkeeper in the world, and that is a privilege Arne Slot has enjoyed in his first season at Liverpool.
“I don’t think I’ve worked with a goalkeeper that has played at this level – which is normal,” the head coach admitted in March.
“I’ve had some very good players as a manager, but never had the best goalkeeper in the world and that I think he is.”
Slot was speaking after Alisson‘s outlandishly good display against Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool’s smash-and-grab 1-0 victory in the Champions League.
For many, that was the pinnacle of a glittering array of performances from the Brazilian since joining the club from AS Roma in a briefly world-record deal in 2018.
Alisson followed that up with a crucial showing in Sunday’s 2-1 win over West Ham which, after two games out due to concussion protocol, summed up his enduring importance to this Liverpool side.
Caoimhin Kelleher had filled in adeptly against Everton and Fulham – as he has regularly over the past two seasons – but there is no substitute for the best in the world.
It is a sobering reality facing Liverpool and their No. 1, however, that turning 33 later this year and with more injury problems than most in his position, life without Alisson at Anfield may come sooner rather than later.
His commitment to the Reds remains unwavering, having turned down offers from Saudi Arabia last summer before making it clear he intends to see out the remainder of a contract that as it stands runs to 2026.
Liverpool have the option to extend that further to 2027, which they may well action given not only his value to the side but also his value in the market.
There are plans in place to replace Alisson, but the timeline of that handover is as yet undetermined.
Life after Alisson
Last summer, the £29 million deal to sign Georgia’s Player of the Year from Valencia was met with bemusement among many, but in Giorgi Mamardashvili, Liverpool are bringing in a goalkeeper of elite potential.
And further to that, reports in the Czech Republic this week claim that a new contract has been agreed with Vitezslav Jaros, the 23-year-old stopper who made his senior debut this season after a double-winning loan at Sturm Graz in Austria.
Czech outlet inFotbal claim Jaros has already shaken hands on a long-term extension to a deal which was set to expire in 2026, with improved terms and a view to a high-profile loan move for 2025/26.
The expectation is that Jaros will spend the season with a top club in either Ligue 1 or LaLiga, gaining valuable experience and game time after a campaign spent serving as third choice at Liverpool.
In the meantime the likelihood is that Harvey Davies, now 21 himself, takes over as reliable cover in training and travelling for matchdays.
While that may suggest a situation in flux, with doubts over Alisson‘s longevity, no real clarity over Mamardashvili’s standing and Jaros due to leave on a temporary basis, there are signs of a cohesive idea.
Clearly, it is not necessary to move Alisson on at this stage, and there is no indication that Slot will demote him from the No. 1 role next season.
On the contrary, there is a concerted effort behind the scenes to better understand how to manage those persistent fitness issues – and that may be where Mamardashvili comes in.
With Mamardashvili joining a new league in a new country, the expectation will be that he initially arrives as competition for the Brazilian with a clear pathway to take over, potentially when that contract expires in 2026.
That would align with Jaros then returning from his time away, ready to inherit what could be endearingly dubbed the Kelleher role – as a club of Liverpool’s ambition requires more than one top goalkeeper.
Liverpool’s long-term planning
It is now widely accepted that Kelleher himself has outgrown that position, and with one year left on his contract this summer, Bournemouth are among the sides interested.
Selling Kelleher may be an unpopular decision with some supporters, but Liverpool could well recoup much of the Mamardashvili fee by finally granting the Irishman a chance to become first choice elsewhere.
Of course, that is not to say this succession plan is set in stone. There are many variables still in play.
Alisson should feel he can maintain world-class form into his late 30s and neither Mamardashvili or Jaros would be minded to wait that long for their chance.
Liverpool could even be dealt a welcome surprise from their academy, with high hopes for 17-year-old Kornel Misciur who, like Kelleher and Jaros before him, can look to make the leap from young prospect to first-team regular.
But all the pieces appear to be falling into place at the right time – and that is a testament to the long-term planning of those within the club’s hierarchy.
