Liverpool star subject to £15m bid urged to pursue move away after MOTM performance vs Chelsea

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has urged cup final hero Caoimhin Kelleher to seek a move away after his heroics against Chelsea, a month after he was targeted by Brentford.

Deadline day was a quiet affair for Liverpool but they did receive a bid for the Irishman from Brentford. A £15m bid was knocked back almost as soon as it was sent, with the club valuing the keeper at £25m and above.

Following an injury to Alisson Becker, he was present at Wembley to face Chelsea over the weekend and produced a fine performance to keep Mauricio Pochettino's side at bay, as he held off a barrage of chances to lift his second EFL Cup. He made nine saves and produced a performance that was only bettered by Virgil van Dijk and he proved once again he is one of the best back-up keepers in the league.

His performance will have caught the eye of other sides as well; Brentford submitted their bid but the likes of Brighton and Celtic have also been reportedly interested in the past - and now Enrique believes he should be playing regular first-team football elsewhere. “Caoimhin Kelleher was fantastic for Liverpool and was my man of the match by far in the Carabao Cup final – he saved the team on multiple occasions.

“Considering Alisson is out, he is a key player now for the team and he’s stepped up. I’m not sure what he’ll do when Jurgen Klopp leaves in the summer because as long as Alisson is there, he’ll never be the number one at Liverpool, so this summer is the perfect excuse for him to pursue a career as a first team starter – he deserves that chance.

“With regards to their upcoming game in the FA Cup against Southampton, obviously it is more important than the Carabao Cup and Klopp will be pushing still for the Premier League, so I think he’ll be putting out a young team against them. He won’t want to risk any more injuries to his big players that’ll damage their Premier League campaign. A lot of the younger players looked confident when they were brought on against Chelsea, but it’s a different story when you start the game.”