According to BBC Sport, Liverpool are pursuing Andy Lonergan following the injury of Alisson. The Brazilian international sustained a calf injury during the club’s opening day win against Norwich City. And while Liverpool do have Adrian as a second choice ‘keeper, Jurgen Klopp is keen on adding more depth, with Lonergan a possibility.
Lonergan’s career so far
A product of the Preston youth academy, Lonergan is one of the most experienced Championship players at the moment, having made 335 appearances in the English second division. The 35-year-old initially made his breakthrough in senior football way back in the 2004/05 campaign with Preston North End.
He spent nine years as a pro for his local club Preston before moving to Leeds United in 2011. But, after a year with Leeds, he moved to Bolton Wanderers the following summer before eventually returning to Leeds in 2017. In between, the goalkeeper enjoyed short spells at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham.
Lonergan most recently played for Middlesbrough but he left the club following the end of his contract last season. He is, thus, available as a free agent. However, it’s probably fair to mention that the Irish ‘keeper hasn’t featured in over 20 games per season since the 2015/16 campaign with Fulham.
Do Liverpool really need Lonergan?
Liverpool currently have three goalkeeping options at their disposal in the first team. Adrian replaced Alisson against Norwich and is set to remain the club’s number one choice in between the sticks until the Brazilian returns to full fitness. He could, however, be sidelined for a minimum of four to six weeks.
Caoimhin Keller is the third choice keeper. But, the young Irishman is not entirely fit after breaking his wrist, which means the Reds could be in huge trouble should Adrian gets injured. Hence, the Reds could really use the services of Lonergan.
The 35-year-old is a well-travelled goalkeeper, and his experience could be valuable. Besides, the fact that he has spent most of his time serving as a backup ‘keeper in the past few years means he is well equipped for the job as well. Additionally, he can provide Adrian with some much-needed competition as there are doubts as to whether or not the ex-West Ham star will be able to fill in Alisson’s shoes for the time being.
