Celtic Receive Caoimhin Kelleher Transfer Boost

Celtic will need to replace Joe Hart as their first-choice goalkeeper next summer with the Englishman having already announced his decision to retire at the end of this campaign.

Hart was signed from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 and has been the club's number one between the posts since then.

There have been periods of time when Hart has been criticised for the support but overall, he has done a pretty good job at Celtic. It will not be easy for them to go ahead and replace him.

Celtic have not had a long-term goalkeeper for a while now. They tried to go that route by signing Vasilis Barkas from AEK Athens in 2020 but it did not work out for the Greek international in Glasgow.

Celtic appear to have set their sights on a player who would pretty much represent a bluechip signing for the Scottish champions if they can pull it off.

The player in question is Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool and there is a welcome update with regards to a potential move for the Irish goalkeeper in the summer.

According to HITC, Kelleher is very high on Brendan Rodgers’ wishlist. The Liverpool goalkeeper may be tempted by the prospect of regular first-team football north of the border.

Kelleher has delivered quality performances whenever given a chance by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. The recent display against Chelsea in the League Cup final was an example of that.

The problem for Kelleher is that he is stuck behind Alisson in the goalkeeping pecking order at Anfield.

Alisson has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world for some time now and has played a major part in the success that the club have enjoyed under Klopp.

Also, Alisson is still just 31 years old. That is pretty young for a goalkeeper and he could still perform at the highest of levels for 3-4 years.

Surely, Kelleher would not be open to the idea of playing as Alisson's cover option for many more years. That might open a window of opportunity for Celtic to swoop in and sign him.

The Scottish giants will have to show a lot of ambition to do that though. It is believed that Liverpool turned down a £15 million bid for Kelleher this winter.

There has been speculation that Liverpool would look for at least a £20 million fee if Kelleher was to leave next summer. That is more than double of Celtic's transfer record.