Caoimhin Kelleher closing in on £18m move to Brentford
Brentford are closing in on a deal for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher as their replacement for Mark Flekken, who is poised to join Bayer Leverkusen.
The transfers are linked and Kelleher will not move unless Flekken departs, but there is a strong belief that everything will be resolved.
Flekken, the 31-year-old Dutchman, is set for a move to Leverkusen for €10million (about £8.4million), plus add-ons, while Kelleher would cost Brentford £12.5million up front and about £18million in total. The club are continuing negotiations.
Kelleher, 26, has only one year left on his deal otherwise Liverpool would seek more for a player who made 20 appearances last season and 26 in 2023-24 to establish himself as a reliable performer. A number of other clubs had been looking at the Ireland goalkeeper, but Brentford have been in a position to move first.
Kelleher's determination to step out of Alisson's shadow at Anfield comes with Liverpool welcoming Giorgi Mamardashvili this summer, 12 months after agreeing a £29million deal with Valencia for the Georgia player.
Mamardashvili, 24, will challenge Alisson, who is expected to remain the No1.
'I think I've said it before that I feel like I'm a No1, I think I'm good enough to play week in, week out, and that's what I'm looking to do,' Kelleher said. 'This season I was lucky enough to play a lot of games but [a move to become first choice is] definitely something I'm looking at.'
Liverpool have banked £10million from Trent Alexander-Arnold's early release to Real Madrid and could, after Kelleher, raise further funds with the Saudi club Al Nassr and Barcelona interested in Luis Diaz. The Colombian forward, who was signed in 2022 from Porto, has two years left on his contract.
Darwin Núñez has also been linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League and Al-Hilal.
Outgoing deals are important for Liverpool who are continuing negotiations with Leverkusen over a club-record deal for Florian Wirtz. A £109million package was tabled last week.
Jeremie Frimpong has already been signed, also from Leverkusen, for £29.5million and there is strong interest in Bournemouth left back Milos Kerkez.
Tottenham Hotspur have retained interest in Fikayo Tomori, the AC Milan centre back who turned down a move to the north London club in January after a £25million fee was agreed. Tottenham want to sign a left-sided centre back this summer and Tomori, 27, has two years left on his contract.
His future is uncertain after the arrival of Max Allegri as Milan head coach, who is reported to have earmarked Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic as his centre-back pairing, meaning one or both of Tomori, who has five England caps, and Malick Thiaw will be sold. Tottenham's other defensive options being considered include Jarrad Branthwaite, of Everton. Crystal Palace's Marc Guéhi is not thought to be interested in a move to Tottenham, who bid for him in January.
Thomas Partey's representatives have had talks with Barcelona as the Arsenal midfielder, 31, has so far been unable to agree a new contract beyond the expiry of his present deal this month.
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