Iraola Faces Key Decisions at Liverpool: Alisson and Kelleher

Andoni Iraola hasn’t even taken his first training session at Liverpool, yet the shape of his squad is already being dragged under the spotlight. Two positions, two familiar names, and one club that knows exactly how costly hesitation can be.

Alisson decision looms large

The new head coach has signed a two-year deal and walked straight into a goalkeeping puzzle at the AXA Training Centre.

Alisson Becker remains the pillar of Liverpool’s recent success, but his future has been tugged at from Turin. Juventus have been strongly linked with the Brazil international, even after Liverpool triggered an option earlier this year to extend his contract through to the end of next season.

Arne Slot had hinted that a decision might be required this summer. Inside the club, the preference has long been clear: they want Alisson to stay. Reports in Brazil now suggest the 31-year-old has chosen to resist Juventus and remain at Anfield for at least another year.

That call doesn’t just steady one position. It sends ripples through the rest of the goalkeeping department.

Giorgi Mamardashvili, who made 20 appearances this season, suddenly finds his pathway clouded again. The Georgia international has been linked with a loan move, with claims that his representatives have offered him to clubs in Italy. If Alisson stays and the pecking order hardens, something has to give.

And that’s where an old face re-enters the conversation.

Kelleher backed for Anfield return

Caoimhin Kelleher left Liverpool a year ago to become a number one at Brentford, a £12.5m deal that felt like a logical step for a goalkeeper desperate to escape the shadow of Alisson. He responded with a superb season in west London, fully justifying his push for regular football and underlining why Jürgen Klopp had trusted him in big moments.

Now, there is growing noise that his story with Liverpool might not be finished.

Former Republic of Ireland, Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder Andy Townsend believes Kelleher has played his way back into the thoughts of the elite — including his former club.

“I think he's a very reliable goalkeeper. He's developed into someone that I could see a bigger club than Brentford coming to take,” Townsend told OLBG, before drawing a sharp comparison. “When I look at Chelsea's goalie (Robert Sanchez), I don't think he even comes close to Caoimhin Kelleher.”

Brentford know they have a gem, but Townsend is adamant the 25-year-old belongs at the very top.

“Brentford had a good season, but it's got to be a club like Liverpool or Chelsea. I remain convinced that he could do that,” he said. The key, in Townsend’s eyes, is status. Kelleher has fought too hard to go backwards.

“He doesn't want to go anywhere now where he isn't the number one, he's shown he can handle that. He's the national team number one by a distance. The last thing he wants to do is go to a club like Liverpool and find himself playing only 10 or 15 games a season. He's done that already. If he goes anywhere, he wants to go in as a number one.”

The list of potential destinations reflects that ambition.

“I could totally see him going to Newcastle and being number one there, or Chelsea. If Alisson does decide to leave Liverpool, they could do a lot worse than Kelleher. They know him very well and whenever he played for Liverpool, he was always very dependable.”

For Iraola, the equation is brutally simple. If Alisson stays, Kelleher would only return as an undisputed starter. If Alisson goes, Liverpool need someone they trust on day one. Kelleher ticks that box. So do other names on the market. The club cannot afford to misjudge either decision.

Centre-back gap points to Brentford again

The outfield picture is no less delicate.

At centre-back, Liverpool are suddenly light. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez stand as Iraola’s only senior options after the departure of Ibrahima Konate, stripping away depth in a position that has already cost the club in previous seasons when injuries struck.

Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are highly rated, but both are working their way back from serious injuries. Asking either to carry a title-chasing defence would be reckless.

So the gaze turns back to Brentford once more, this time to their captain.

Nathan Collins has quietly built a strong reputation in London, and Townsend believes the Republic of Ireland defender is ready for a bigger stage.

“He's done really well, Nathan Collins,” Townsend said. “I know that Spurs have just signed (Marcos) Senesi from Bournemouth. I think Nathan Collins would have been a good fit for them. A boy playing in London, going to another London club, that can help.”

That move has gone, but the endorsement stands.

“I think he could be a very talented centre-half. He had too many mistakes in him 18 months ago, but he seems to have eradicated a lot of that. And he's a tall lad, he's quick enough, and he can play. So I think he's ready for an opportunity now to go and show that he can go up a notch. I think he can do it, I really do.”

Collins’ evolution, in Townsend’s view, is as much about mentality as technique.

“I said a couple of years ago he was a little bit soft with his defensive work, giving away easy goals. I think now he's got better in that respect. There is a more ruthless element to what he's doing defensively now, he's a bit more solid.”

The sticking point is obvious: price. Brentford sell hard, and Liverpool will have to decide how far they are willing to go for a player still proving himself at the very top level.

“But whether Liverpool will be that and whether they would pay Brentford the sort of money they would want, I'm not sure, that is the only concern. But I think Nathan's got a lot of ability,” Townsend added. “Because of that, I think certainly there's a number of clubs that could do with a player like him and would benefit.”

Two Brentford players. Two Ireland internationals. Two positions that could define Iraola’s first season.

Liverpool’s new head coach has barely unpacked his office, yet the choices in front of him already feel like fault lines: stick with Alisson and reshape around him, or prepare for life without him; trust the market for a fresh centre-back, or turn to a Premier League rival who knows exactly what their assets are worth.

The answers will say plenty about how bold this new Liverpool era intends to be.