According to a recent report by the Daily Express, reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool are said to have been offered the chance to sign Tottenham’s Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga on deadline day. Although Spurs were willing to let their star man from last season depart, the Reds are said to have turned down the deal. Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton were also reportedly given the option of acquiring the goalkeeper, but Carlo Ancelotti’s men opted to go for Robin Olsen instead.
Although the report has clarified that Liverpool passed on an opportunity to sign Paulo Gazzaniga, whether or not they will come to regret this decision remains to be seen. Despite back-up keeper’s Adrian horror moment in the 7-2 walloping by Aston Villa, Klopp was quick to come to his defence. The German tactician said, “He is a really good goalie. Last year we played 11 games with him and won pretty much all. Tonight our goalie was not the problem. The reaction to the first goal was not his problem; it was our problem.”
What Is Liverpool’s Current Goalkeeper Situation?
Having signed Alisson for a hefty fee a couple of seasons ago, various questions were asked about the Brazilian’s actual quality. Despite this, it’s safe to say that the former Roma man, over the last two years, has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the entire European game. One thing that will concern Klopp, though, is the frequency at which he has been picking up injuries. The most recent knock came in the form of a niggle to his shoulder, and that’s what forced Adrian into the side for the defeat against Aston Villa.
The first goal that the Villans scored against the champions was entirely his fault. The Spanish veteran gave the ball away poorly before Ollie Watkins was allowed a simple tap-in. Apart from that one moment, though, none of the other goals were actually in the keeper’s control.
There were three deflected strikes that put the Spaniard in a helpless position, while all of the other goals were scored from close range as well. Even with that said, going into the league season completely dependent on the first-choice goalkeeper is never going to end well.
How Did Gazzaniga Impress In The League Last Season?
The Argentine stopper actually had an important part to play in the team last season, and it must be conceded that he was thoroughly impressive every time he was called upon. Although he only came into the side because of the injury to Hugo Lloris, the 28-year-old did everything in his power during that time to try and ensure that he kept his place in between the sticks even when the skipper returned. Unfortunately for him though, that wasn’t the case. While Mourinho did concede that dropping him was painful, Lloris was reinstated as soon as he was back to full fitness.
Liverpool Passed On An Opportunity To Sign Paulo Gazzaniga: Will Klopp Come To Regret This?
The Argentine keeper has seemingly fallen down to third in the pecking order after Spurs confirmed the arrival of Joe Hart over the summer. Without too much incentive to stay on at a club like Spurs, last summer would’ve presented Liverpool the best opportunity to find a replacement for the ever-careless Adrian.
Now though, they will have to see out the remainder of the season with the Spaniard as the second-choice. It’s not often that a goalkeeper gets branded injury-prone, but that seems to be the case with Alisson, and unless the Reds medical staff can do something about that, not signing Gazzaniga is a decision that Klopp could come to regret at the end of the season.
