Alisson agreement reached as Liverpool transfer debate leaves everyone saying the same thing
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Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper is one of the club's all-time greats but can the Reds afford to lose him? The rest is history.Alisson's remarkable Liverpool career needs no further introduction and he is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper of Liverpool's modern history - but turning 34 in October, increasingly injured and now challenged by Giorgi Mamardashvili for a starting spot, reports have linked him with interest from Juventus.Can Liverpool afford to let Alisson leave this summer?
The ECHO's Liverpool FC writers are here to debate the answer to that question.Paul GorstAnyone starting to feel as though life after Alisson Becker might just be possible for Liverpool received a reminder in the first half of Sunday's draw with Brentford of why he remains integral.After being a virtual spectator, Alisson sprung into action to deny Kevin Schade and keep the score goalless in a game the Reds needed to avoid losing to confirm their status as Champions League participants next season.It was a save that drew comparisons with a famous denial of Arkadiusz Milik for Napoli, all those years ago when the last-gasp act preserved a 1-0 win and progression to the knockout stages of a competition Jurgen Klopp's side went on to win.That, though, will be seven years ago on June 1, so Liverpool have of course got to plan for the long term and the purchase of Giorgi Mamardashvili, arranged two years ago before being formally ratified last summer, was proof of a club future-proofing their goalkeeping department.But in a summer that has already seen Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson leave, Liverpool's core leadership group is losing serious and serial winners. Even leaving aside Alisson's incredible record at the club and thinking ruthlessly as Liverpool's decision-makers undoubtedly will, there isn't really a case to be made that the club will be better off without him.Simply put, the fee Liverpool would likely receive with one year remaining wouldn't cover a top-class replacement.
1.As great as Mamardashvili was at Valencia the season before Liverpool agreed a deal for him (2023-24), he hasn't performed at those same levels in the two seasons since.That's not to say he can't get back there, and time is very much on the Georgian's side, but other than making saves (which Mamardashvili can do to a better extent than he has shown this season), a goalkeeper fundamentally needs to transmit confidence to his defence.For that, he needs confidence in himself. It has so far been impossible for Mamardashvili to build that at Liverpool given some of the dreadful runs he's been in between the posts for, and he doesn't have the natural confidence - bordering on arrogance - that Alisson showed when he first arrived at Anfield to mitigate that.Alisson in goal does still seem to have a calming effect on the team.