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Ordinarily during a transfer window, the names of Liverpool targets are often kept under wraps until deals are almost complete.
That has not been the case at all this year, however, as Reds supporters wait patiently for several long-running sagas to end.
Florian Wirtz looks likely to join next week, but his move from Bayer Leverkusen has been a long time in the post.
Still, even with key targets very much public knowledge, Liverpool still had room to spring a small surprise on Friday.
Liverpool moved to sign Hungarian goalkeeper Armin Pecsi in a deal which few people had seen coming.
But, as some Jurgen Klopp quotes from 2021 go to show, nobody should be surprised that the Reds are looking to bolster their goalkeeping ranks once again.
Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Liverpool are set to have five options in goal next season, with Pecsi to join Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies in the senior ranks.
Clearly, most of this quintet will not get game time, as the majority of matches will be played by Alisson, with Mamardashvili filling in when needed.
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As a result, some may question the wisdom of bringing another talented young player into that mix.
But, as Klopp said when hiring goalkeeping coach Claudio Taffarel in November 2021, he and the club were keen to become a genuine ‘goalkeeping school.’
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“We want to build kind of our own philosophy in goalkeeping because we all agree it’s its own game,” said the former Liverpool manager.
“We really want to really be a proper goalkeeping school in world football and so that’s why we’re bringing in a third very, very experienced goalkeeper coach.”
At the time of Klopp’s quotes, Liverpool already boasted Alisson, Caoimhin Kelleher, Davies, Adrian and young Brazilian Marcelo Pitaluga.
Although it didn’t work out for Pitaluga who has since headed back to Brazil, Liverpool’s commitment to signing and developing young goalkeepers has ramped up ever since.
NameAgeLiverpool AppearancesSenior AppearancesAlisson Becker32298536Giorgi Mamardashvili240230Vitezslav Jaros23290Armin Pecsi20069Harvey Davies21032Fabian Mrozek21016Kornel Misciur1800Selected Liverpool goalkeepers
Jaros is a genuine prospect, while there are high hopes for 18-year-old Liverpool academy youngster Kornel Misciur as well.
Pecsi was nominated for this year’s Golden Boy award honouring the best young players in Europe.
He is clearly highly rated and there could be a future for him in the Liverpool first team.
Perhaps Klopp’s plan was born out of a struggle to pick a settled number one when he first arrived at Anfield.