Earlier this week, Paul Joyce of the Times reported that Roma's Alisson Becker would be the number one goalkeeping target for Liverpool in the summer. Gianluca Di Marzio also reported that current Liverpool keeper, Simon Mignolet, could be of interest to Napoli in order to replace Pepe Reina. What is the likelihood of either of these moves happening?
How to spend 142 million pounds? That is a question Jurgen Klopp asks himself after the sale of Coutinho to Barcelona. His club is desperately in need of a new goalkeeper, and they have their eyes set on Roma's Alisson Becker.
Alisson has not totally committed himself to Roma, as he has repeatedly stated that he will think about his future in the summer. He has been one of, if not the, best goalies in Serie A this season. He put on an absolute spectacle against Atletico Madrid in the first Champions League match, so there is no surprise that he is gathering interest from abroad. The Brazilian joined Roma while Wojciech Szczesny was their number one, so spent most of last season on the bench. The Giallorossi obviously saw something in the player, as they had no problem letting Szczesny go, and he has not made them regret the decision.
Would Alisson leave and would Roma let him go? Alisson could definitely be interested in a move, and Liverpool would be a tempting destination. The communication between the two clubs is also very good as they just recently completed a deal for Mo Salah in the summer. As far as Roma's willingness to sell, that's another question. Alisson is still young, only 26 years old, and is already Brazil's number one goalie. Unless they are given a very significant monetary offer, one in which they believe they can purchase a talented young goalie and still have money leftover, it is hard to see Roma selling Becker in the summer.
One thing that seems for certain is that current Liverpool goalie Simon Mignolet is on his way out. He was the first choice, however, his performances have caused Jurgen Klopp to involve him in a goalkeeper rotation. Mignolet is not happy about this and even if Liverpool didn't want to sell him he could force his way out.
Napoli is reportedly interested in the goalie, as they are looking for a replacement to Pepe Reina. Reina's contract is up after this season and even though there was some interest in him extending, it seems like that has passed. Reina is very good with the ball at his feet and in distribution, but his actual shot stopping ability has not been terrific this season. If Napoli want to continue to compete for the Italian championship yearly, they will surely need a goalie that could both distribute and make saves when called upon.
The Mignolet to Napoli rumors could come to fruition, as his price tag will not be significant. The player received a demotion in his role and wants to leave. In addition to this, Liverpool will spend significantly on a replacement and will want to offload the Belgian.
