According to a recent report by the Daily Mirror, Liverpool are considering making an offer to Andy Lonergan who is a free agent after he was released by Middlesbrough earlier this summer. The same source has revealed that the Reds are looking to bring in a new keeper after Alisson Becker suffered a serious calf injury against Norwich City at Anfield at the opening night of the new Premier League campaign.
Liverpool’s Goalkeeping Concerns After Alisson Injury
The calf injury could keep the Brazilian keeper out for up to six weeks which means that he could miss the Premier League matches against Southampton, Arsenal, Burnley and Chelsea. He could potentially be out of the UEFA Champions League opening night fixture against an opponent yet to be decided.
Adrian remains the Merseyside club’s only fit goalkeeper, so Klopp will now have a dilemma of whether to bring in an emergency shot-stopper from the free-agent market or trust his current options at the club. Lonergan previously featured for Liverpool during the preseason match against Borussia Dortmund.
Potential Solution For The Reds
However, the English talent looked far from convincing so it might be a huge gamble to take a chance on him when Klopp could give some of his young goalkeepers a chance in his first-team. The likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Vitezslav Jaros and Daniel Atherton could thrive with the opportunity of being in and around the Liverpool first-team as they look to improve their goalkeeping attributes in the coming years.
Why Klopp Shouldn’t Bring Lonergan To Anfield
Lonergan is in the twilight years of his playing career and is vastly experienced in the lower leagues of English football. The fact that he has never made a Premier League appearance in his playing career suggests that he won’t be a good fit for the Reds.
Klopp would be better off looking at the Liverpool Under-18 and Under-23 teams in search of a back-up goalkeeper for Adrian. The Liverpool academy has often produced future first-team prospects in the recent past as evidenced by the recent emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Wilson, Ryan Kent and Rhian Brewster.
Hence, the Merseyside giants can cope without signing Lonergan as he won’t fit in well at Anfield in the long-run. Even though the English keeper is available for free this summer, he will take up unnecessary space in Klopp’s squad. This is why Liverpool should not recruit him from the free-agent market.
