Jurgen Klopp has already guaranteed one Liverpool transfer decision this summer

Jurgen Klopp has already guaranteed one Liverpool transfer decision this summer

 Liverpool ratings is Alisson Becker; a goalkeeper who has become one of the finest in decades at Anfield

In an underwhelming season of general underperformance at Liverpool, Alisson Becker’s standards refused to drop.

The Brazil international goalkeeper was one of a rare few whose contributions did not dip during a campaign that has left the Reds outside of the Champions League for the first time since 2017.

While talk of midfield rebuilds has gathered pace and reports of interest in defenders are becoming more prevalent, there is no doubting the future of the goalkeeper position at Anfield as Alisson gets set to extend his claims to eventually become known as one of the all-time greats on Merseyside. The manager has already confirmed that goalkeeper is the only position he will not look to strengthen this summer.

Now up to 101 clean sheets since he moved to Anfield for what was a world record-breaking £65m five years ago, the Selecao international continues to go from strength to strength in goal for the Reds and with three years left on his contract at the age of 30, Alisson has plenty of time and space to do continue his quest.

The former Roma star enjoyed a fine term and the thought of where Jurgen Klopp’s team might have finished without his vital contributions is enough to induce a wince. Alisson is surely the frontrunner to be considered the club’s Player of the Year for 2022/23.

The 30-year-old made some vital and impressive saves in both the 2-0 win at Newcastle and goalless draw at Chelsea in February and April, respectively, while a 3-1 win at home to Southampton in November might have been very different had the visitors not been thwarted by the Liverpool goalkeeper on the day.

Eye-catching saves were made to deny the likes of Martin Odegaard, Vinicius Junior and Antony in games against Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United, but the most impressive aspect to Alisson’s goalkeeping is that he rarely needs to make the implausible stops due to his all-round ability elsewhere.

His sweeper-keeper instincts are massively helpful to a backline that prefers to play on the front foot and higher up the pitch when it can and Alisson’s ability to read the danger early was a big reason behind his 14 clean sheets, which is a tally that was only bettered by Nick Pope at Newcastle.

Such a skill was most notable in the closing stages of the 2-2 draw with Arsenal when, after a pulsating fight-back from two goals down, Alisson denied Arsenal’s last-gasp counter-attack to steal it by running from his line early to get there ahead of Bukayo Saka

The sight of Alisson regularly racing from his goalline and out of his area to punt away the danger – usually with an impudent outside-of-the-foot pass – became a regular one to Reds fans last term. The big saves aren’t needed when a goalkeeper is more proactive.

A vital interception late on in the 1-0 win over Fulham to stop Carlos Vinicius at Anfield led to Klopp waxing lyrical about the 2018 summer signing. The Liverpool manager revealed his player was almost moved to tears, such was his joy at the clean sheet.

“Alisson was close to crying with a clean sheet,” Klopp said. “It’s pretty rare for us this season! It’s very nice, especially for him. He kept a clean sheet for us, especially in that situation. He is the most consistent player we have this season. That is good news. If his level dropped as well we would be completely lost.”

Of course, it was not a flawless campaign for the No.1. A mix-up with Joe Gomez in the defeat to Leeds in October was entirely avoidable, while Vinicius Junior’s second in the 5-2 loss to Real Madrid at Anfield – a goal that evened the tie on the night – should not have happened.

The shot-stopper was also culpable for a concession in the 2-2 draw to Wolves in the FA Cup in January when a pass out to the right side was intercepted by Goncalo Guedes just yards away. “The goal should not happen, but we all know how often Ali saves our backsides,” Klopp said.

But given Liverpool’s general struggles of last season, Alisson was undoubtedly one of their outstanding performers. After a worrying year that has left many questions being asked about the club’s ability to rebuild and challenge once more, supporters are at least of the belief that there is no-one they would rather have as their custodian between the sticks.

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“That was very cool” – Liverpool target opens up on ‘goosebump moment’ he felt at Anfield ahead of potential summer move

VfL Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven has already claimed that it is a dream of his to play at Liverpool’s home stadium.

The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Anfield following Jorg Schmadtke’s appointment as the Reds’ sporting director. The German helped Wolfsburg sign Van de Ven from Volendam in August 2021.

Now, it has been claimed that Schamdtke could help Liverpool sign Van de Ven in the near future. Amidst this, pictures have emerged of the Dutch centre-back attending a game at Anfield with his father.

Speaking about the moment with Wolfsburger Allgemeine Aller-Zeitung, via Liverpool Echo, Van de Ven said in January:

“I once went to the Liverpool stadium with my dad. That was over Christmas on Boxing Day. Liverpool vs Arsenal. That was madness. Then when ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ comes [on] – that’s a goosebump moment, that was very cool. It’s a dream to play there.”

The Dutchman could be referring to Liverpool’s 5-1 league win against Arsenal on 29 December 2018. The Reds finished second that season, finishing one point behind Manchester City.

Van de Ven’s current contract at the Volkswagen Arena expires in the summer of 2027. He has been one of Niko Kovac’s most trusted players this season, featuring in 36 games across competitions for Die Wolfe.

Jurgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool could sign a new centre-back

Jurgen Klopp has already admitted that Liverpool will be open to signing a new centre-back this summer if the correct opportunity arises.

The Reds have Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez as their first-team options in that position. Matip and Gomez, however, have been notably troubled with injuries in recent seasons.

Speaking ahead of his team’s 1-1 league draw against Aston Villa on May 20, Klopp said, via Liverpool Echo:

“We look in all departments apart from goalkeeper at the moment. Yes, if there is a good one (centre-back) out there, I would not deny it. That’s all. We look at all areas of the pitch, definitely.”

Matip and Van Dijk will both turn 32 years old before the start of the 2023-24 season. Moreover, Gomez has been required to fill in at right-back for Trent Alexander-Arnold on several occasions.

Hence, a move for Mickey van de Ven would make sense for the Reds heading into the new season as they look to challenge for titles once again.