Caoimhin Kelleher has joined Brentford from Liverpool for an initial fee of £12.5m that could rise to £18million ($24.3m).
The 26-year-old goalkeeper has signed a five-year deal with an option of a further year.
As part of this summer’s transfer coverage on The Athletic, in addition to breaking news, tactical analysis and in-depth reads, our Transfers TLDR series (you can read them all here) will bring you a quick guide to each of the key deals.
Give me their backstory in 100 words…
Cork-born Kelleher was signed by Liverpool from local club Ringmahon Rangers and relocated from the Republic of Ireland at 16. He rose through the age groups to become a goalkeeper Jurgen Klopp described as the best No 2 in the world.
No Liverpool goalkeeper has won more penalty shootouts (four) and he scored in the 11-10 shootout win against Chelsea in the 2022 Carabao Cup. Kelleher played 67 times for Liverpool and won one Premier League title (he failed to make an appearance in the 2019-20 season), one Champions League, one FA Cup, one Super Cup and two League Cups.
Caoimhe O’Neill
Kelleher scored in the shootout win against Chelsea in the 2022 Carabao Cup final (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
What should, and shouldn’t, I expect to see?
Kelleher was built in the image of Alisson by former Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg. Expect a similar goalkeeper to the Brazil No 1.
The Irishman was a striker until he was 13 and may not look as imposing as bulkier goalkeepers, but his bendy frame will pull off saves that look out of reach.
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There may be the occasional blooper, but with penalties, look out for his ‘smooth criminal’ penalty-saving technique, where he falls towards the taker.
Caoimhe O’Neill
How will he fit tactically?
Kelleher is a capable shot-stopper, with a 71 per cent save rate last season, marginally behind Mark Flekken’s 74 per cent. His distribution was solid, too, and he often went short from open play, as Flekken did.
The key difference is their long passing. Flekken attempted 21.3 Opta-defined long passes (covering 32+ meters or 35+ yards) and completed 41 per cent. In contrast, Kelleher attempted 12.5 and completed 26 per cent.
This could be due to Brentford’s tactical approach, which embraces directness in comparison to Liverpool. With more minutes, Kelleher’s numbers across the board are likely to improve.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
What’s his injury record?
Kelleher’s most recent injury saw him receive stitches in his knee in October 2023, though this did not lead to a lengthy layoff. He suffered a groin injury in June 2022 that sidelined him for three months and an abdominal tear in February 2021 that ruled him out for a month.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Someone who knows him says…
“Caoimh is cool as ice,” Achterberg told The Athletic in March 2024. “He can play left foot, right foot; his speed reactions are crazy and he reads the game so well.”
“He was unbelievable,” his former Ringmahon team-mate Keelyn Cotter told The Athletic in 2020. “We had a few goalkeepers in our league who were getting trials in England. The competition was fierce, but within a couple of years, he’d flown past them all. It also helped that he understood what a good striker might do because he was one himself.”
Caoimhe O’Neill
What do we know about the finances of the deal?
Kelleher has signed a five-year contract with an option for a further 12 months. He has cost Brentford £12.5million initially, potentially rising to £18m.
Through joining in early June, just under a month’s worth of the fee will hit Brentford’s 2024-25 financials, as will four weeks of Kelleher’s wages. Liverpool’s most recent financial year ended on May 31, so this deal has no impact on their 2024-25 accounts.
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In terms of those wages, Kelleher’s new deal is unknown, though as ever, the cost of the deal will go beyond just the transfer fee and any agent costs. For Liverpool, Kelleher’s departure won’t make a sizeable dent in their staff costs, with the backup goalkeeper one of the lower earners in a well-paid squad.
Chris Weatherspoon
What impact will this have on both clubs’ PSR calculations?
After adding on agent fees, assumed at 10 per cent, Kelleher’s signing adds £200,000 to Brentford’s transfer fee amortisation charge in 2024-25, with a further £2.7m per year then charged until the end of the 2029-30 season.
The sale of Flekken to Bayer Leverkusen for £8.4m generated a profit on sale of around £2.8m immediately in the club’s books, more than offsetting the £200,000 amortisation added by signing Kelleher.
From Liverpool’s perspective, there could be a situation where they would not enjoy the full £12.5m fee. Reports in Ireland suggest Ringmahon, the club Kelleher joined Liverpool from as a 16-year-old, may be due 20 per cent of Liverpool’s profit on any sale, which would mean they would bank around £2.5m of the £12.5m fee.
The Athletic has not been able to verify those reports, but if that were the case, it would leave £10m in profit booked into Liverpool’s 2025-26 accounts, with the possibility of a further £4.4m in add-ons.
Chris Weatherspoon
(Top photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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