Advertisement

Alisson Becker faces clear Liverpool obstacle amid Saudi Arabia transfer rumours

BERGAMO, ITALY - APRIL 17: Alisson Becker of Liverpool FC talks to the media during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 quarter-final second leg press conference at Gewiss Stadium on April 17, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
-Credit: (Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)


In a season that saw Alisson Becker make the fewest appearances of his six years at Liverpool, the Brazil international still maintained extraordinary levels of consistency.

Just 28 Premier League appearances across 23/24 for Liverpool's No.1 saw deputy Caoimhin Kelleher stand in with aplomb at times but Alisson remains the undisputed first choice at Anfield.

And for new head coach Arne Slot, whose arrival on a three-year contract was confirmed on Monday, the chance to work with a goalkeeper of such rare quality will be hugely appealing.

The goalkeeper's performance in the late August turnaround at Newcastle kept the 10 men in the game after Virgil van Dijk had been sent off. A handful of particularly eye-catching saves saw the hosting Magpies unable to add to their lead to allow Darwin Nunez the chance to strike twice late on to seal a memorable away victory.

READ MORE: Arne Slot reacts to emotional Jurgen Klopp Liverpool farewell in final Feyenoord interview

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah actions after Jurgen Klopp party have given Liverpool transfer head start

The former Roma star was remarkably unfortunate to end up on the losing side of that controversial 2-1 loss to Tottenham in late September too. Having made a string of stops from the likes of James Maddison, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski to keep the 10 and then nine men alive in the match, Joel Matip's mistake saw Alisson concede a stoppage-time winner for the hosts. An incredible reactionary stop to keep out Jean-Philippe Mateta also deserved better than to come in a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace much later in the campaign.

A couple of stops to thwart Tomas Soucek and Matty Cash in Anfield victories against West Ham and Aston Villa also stick out but the most eye-catching aspect of Alisson's entire game is how routine he makes most of it look. That has always been the style of a goalkeeper who, season by season, is beginning to earn more credible comparisons with some of the greats who came before him, like Bruce Grobbelaar and the late Ray Clemence.

A mistake in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City, when he slipped trying to clear the ball led to Erling Haaland opening the scoring at the Etihad in November was followed up by a regrettable mix-up with Van Dijk in the 3-1 loss to Arsenal in February but there was little else to hugely pick fault with on the field.

Having seen Kelleher feature just six times fewer, however, Alisson could use a prolonged season without injury going forward to build significantly on the 263 appearances already made at Anfield.

With Champions League on the agenda once more rather than the Europa League, where rotation is easier to explain away, Alisson will have a chance to increase his numbers if he stays fit. The absence for the Carabao Cup final could have been a frustrating one had things turned out differently on the day at Wembley.

Tentative but curious links to Saudi Arabia have emerged in recent days with the Pro League reportedly stepping up the charm offensive in their efforts to aggressively pursue Europe's leading lights, including Alisson, once more.

For Liverpool's part, they will be desperate to keep one of the finest glovesmen around as they look to continue building on a new-look squad that saw plenty of upheaval last summer.

One of the all-time goalkeeping greats at Anfield showcased just why he has that reputation in 23/24, but the next challenge is clear after a hamstring injury that threatened to wreck his campaign at one stage.

Season rating: 8