Liverpool could be forced to bring in a new addition to their goalkeeping department this summer should the offers start piling in as expected for Alisson Becker’s highly talented understudy, Caoimhin Kelleher.
The Republic of Ireland international is thought to be keen on securing more regular weekly minutes at a club – an understandable desire at 24 years of age at a club where he’s unlikely to displace the No.1 shotstopper – which could leave the Reds covering old tracks.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed in a tweet that former target Timo Horn is set to depart Koln this summer once his contract expires, with minutes hard to come by following Marvin Schwabe’s arrival in the Bundesliga.
Official: FC Köln have confirmed that keeper Timo Horn will leave the club as free agent in June. 🔴🇩🇪 #Bundesliga
He joined his hometown club in 2002 when he was 9. Appearances: 329. pic.twitter.com/E6VgWGSHBS
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 27, 2023
The 29-year-old admitted several years ago that the Merseysiders had expressed an interest in him as a youth player and it’s entirely possible that his name will have been kept on the books since that point.
“At the age of 15 or 16, Liverpool were very interested in me,” the German told the Independent back in 2017.
“But I didn’t go there because I felt the goalkeeping schooling in Germany was much better and I had enough examples, for instance Ron-Robert Zieler who came back after a year [at Leicester], and that’s why I stayed in Koln.
“It definitely wasn’t the wrong decision!”
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Would Timo Horn make sense for Liverpool on a free transfer?
At his current age, one might argue Horn would be open to the possibility of becoming Alisson’s new No.2 and vying for playing time in the cup competitions (and whenever else his services may be needed).
With funds set to be focused on replenishing the midfield in the main, snapping up a free agent to fill up a fresh gap in the squad would prove a smart move on the part of our recruitment team.
It’s worth emphasising in all this that we’d love to see Kelleher remain at Anfield for a long-time, though we could hardly begrudge him seeking a move to pastures new to showcase his talents on a more regular basis.