If a report from Salzburger Nachrichten is believed to be true, Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros has emerged as a transfer target for RB Salzburg. The Austrian giants have appointed Pep Lijnders as their new manager and the trusted sidekick of Jurgen Klopp is making use of his contacts and connections in Merseyside to rope in the Czech Republic international.
The 22-year-old custodian developed under the hood since joining the Reds’ youth setup from Slavia Prague. After impressing for the U21s, Jaros was loaned out to St Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland. He cemented the ‘number 1’ status at Richmond Park and eventually contributed to their 2021 FAI Cup triumph. His progress encouraged Liverpool to arrange temporary stints in the lower leagues of the English pyramid with Notts County and Stockport County.
But the youngster grabbed attention earlier this year when he joined Sturm Graz in Austria for the second half of the 2023-24 season. Jaros went on to feature 21 times across competitions and was pivotal to the Blackies’ both Austrian Bundesliga and Cup wins. This brought a culmination to Salzburg’s ten-year-long title-winning streak.
The Wals-Siezenheim side are now desperate to reclaim the silverware under Ljinders and his assistant Vitor Matos. Fitness coach Andreas Kornmayer is set to reunite with them after a successful stint at Merseyside and the familiar surroundings of the dugout could see the move materialize for all parties involved.
Why Liverpool Must Assess The Situation Before Making A Call
However, Liverpool should prefer a loan unless they have clarity over their situation between the sticks. Despite interest from the Saudi Pro League, the Reds can’t afford to lose Alisson Becker this summer. Instead, they might sanction Caoimhín Kelleher’s transfer as the 25-year-old shot-stopper wants regular gametime after spending years as the understudy to the Selecao star. Adrian has been offered a one-year extension, but the Spaniard could snub it in favour of returning to his boyhood club Real Betis.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool ropes in a new name or promotes someone from the academy ranks. Although Marcelo Pitaluga, Harvey Davies and Jakub Ojrzyński also enjoyed senior minutes out on loan, the Czech prospect is currently ahead in the pecking order after making his presence known in the top tier of Austrian football.
Salzburg have parted ways with Timo Horn upon the expiration of his short-term contract. Alexander Schlager played in goal last season after joining from LASK, but they need someone to challenge and cover for the Austria international. Jaros has also made it to Czech’s Euro 2024 squad and his emergence this year seems to have paved the way towards first-team exposure.
