By Martin Graham
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is set to leave Anfield for Brentford after both clubs reached an agreement on a transfer worth £12.5m, with potential add-ons raising the total to £18m.
The 26-year-old, who represents the Republic of Ireland, is expected to take over from Mark Flekken as the new first-choice keeper at the west London club. Flekken, 31, is on his way to Germany after Bayer Leverkusen agreed to pay around £8m for the Dutch shot-stopper.
Kelleher ends Liverpool spell
Kelleher, who has spent his entire senior career at Liverpool, has made 25 league appearances and featured in more than 40 domestic and European cup matches since his debut five years ago.
During his time on Merseyside, he collected a host of honors, including two Premier League winners’ medals, the Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, and the UEFA Super Cup. Despite having a year left on his current contract, he has chosen to move in search of regular football.
With Kelleher departing, Liverpool are preparing to welcome Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia. The Georgian international will arrive in July to provide competition for long-time number one Alisson Becker.
Flekken returns to the Bundesliga
Flekken joined Brentford in May 2023 from Freiburg for a reported £11m fee. Before his move to England, he had earned a reputation in Germany for keeping more clean sheets than any other keeper in the Bundesliga across two seasons.
Since arriving at Brentford, he has continued to impress, featuring in all but two league games over the past two campaigns. In that time, he has kept 14 clean sheets and also registered three assists.
