According to a recent report by ESPN, Liverpool are set to retain the services of their Belgian keeper Simon Mignolet until the end of this campaign. The same report has claimed that the Reds are reluctant to let their back-up keeper leave during this January transfer window even though the Belgian has made just two appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.
The Merseyside club decided to loan out Kamil Grabara to Danish side AGF Aarhus earlier this month so Mignolet’s potential departure would mean that the inexperienced goalie, Caoimhin Kelleher will have to play back-up to Alisson Becker. Hence, it will be a big boost for Liverpool if they can manage to hold on to Mignolet at least until the end of the season.
The Reds are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League standings with a four-point advantage over Manchester City who are in second place but with a healthier goal difference than Liverpool. So Klopp simply cannot afford to be left exposed if there was an injury to his Brazilian number one, Alisson. Hence, Mignolet is still required to fill in as the back-up as he is more than capable of stepping up to the plate during emergencies.
The Belgian talent’s terrific record of saving penalties could also give Liverpool an edge if Alisson was unavailable for any of the remaining clashes in this campaign. Since his move from Sunderland in the summer of 2013, the 30-year-old has made 204 appearances for the Merseyside giants, conceding 239 goals while keeping 66 clean sheets across all competitions.
Mignolet has also represented the Belgian national team in some of the biggest stages in world football and has 22 international caps for his nation to his name. Klopp’s number two keeper is quite capable of making some good saves due to his razor sharp reflexes.
Moreover, the Sint-Truiden born talent knows the club well and will be a good presence in the dressing room due to his prior experience in Premier League football.
However, his distribution often lacks accuracy while Mignolet has also developed a reputation for making occasional mistakes at the back. So Klopp needs to manage him carefully and only opt for his services if Alisson is unavailable due to an injury or suspension.
