Andoni Iraola's Early Decisions at Liverpool: Alisson and Brentford Targets
Andoni Iraola has barely had time to find his parking space at the AXA Training Centre, but the size of his first decisions is already clear. Liverpool’s new head coach walks into a club with a restless goalkeeping department, a thinned-out centre-back group, and the shadow of Juventus lingering over Alisson Becker.
Amid that uncertainty, two familiar names from Brentford are being pushed towards his in-tray: Caoimhin Kelleher and Nathan Collins.
Alisson’s future sets off a chain reaction
Liverpool triggered their option earlier this year to extend Alisson’s contract to the end of next season, and internally the stance has been consistent: they want the Brazilian to stay. Even so, Juventus have circled with intent, and former boss Arne Slot had already hinted that a decision might be needed this summer.
Reports in Brazil now suggest Alisson has chosen to resist Juventus and remain at Anfield for at least one more year. If that holds, Iraola gets one of the world’s elite goalkeepers for his debut campaign. It also reshapes the rest of the goalkeeping picture.
Giorgi Mamardashvili, who made 20 appearances this season, sits in the middle of that uncertainty. Claims from Italy say his representatives have offered him on loan to Serie A clubs. If Alisson stays, the Georgian’s route to the No.1 shirt narrows again. The dominoes are lined up; one firm decision at the top end affects everyone beneath it.
Kelleher backed for an Anfield return
Into that debate strides a familiar figure. Caoimhin Kelleher, sold to Brentford last summer for an initial £12.5m, has been tipped for a return to Merseyside after a standout season in west London.
The Republic of Ireland international left Liverpool to escape the life of a cup keeper. At Brentford he finally became a regular, rewarded with a campaign that justified his move and underlined why so many at Anfield rated him so highly.
Andy Townsend, the former Ireland, Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder, believes Kelleher has now outgrown his current 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 said, speaking to OLBG. He even drew a sharp comparison with Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez, arguing the Blues’ current No.1 “doesn't even come close” to Kelleher.
That is a strong endorsement, but it comes with a warning for Liverpool. Kelleher left precisely because he did not want to be stuck on 10 or 15 games a season. Townsend is convinced that chapter is over.
“He doesn't want to go anywhere now where he isn't the number one, he's shown he can handle that,” he said. “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.”
So the equation is simple and ruthless. If Alisson stays, Kelleher would be walking back into the same old bottleneck. If Alisson goes, Liverpool “could do a lot worse than Kelleher,” as Townsend put it. They know his temperament, his work, his reliability. The club trusted him in big games before; that trust would not need to be built from scratch.
Townsend can see him as a starter at Newcastle or Chelsea. Liverpool only truly come into focus if the Alisson situation flips. Until then, Kelleher looks like a perfect solution to a problem Liverpool do not yet officially have.
Centre-back shortage points towards Collins
At the other end of the pitch, Iraola’s problems are less hypothetical. Liverpool’s centre-back department has been stripped back. With Ibrahima Konate gone, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez stand as the only senior specialists in the role.
The club have high hopes for Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, but both are working their way back from serious injuries. Potential, yes. Immediate reliability, no. For a manager trying to launch a new era, that is a dangerous balance.
Townsend believes the answer might again lie at Brentford, this time in the form of their captain, Nathan Collins.
“He's done really well, Nathan Collins,” Townsend said. He even suggested Tottenham might have missed a trick by not moving for him before signing Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth. A defender already settled in London, shifting across the capital, made sense to him.
Collins’ development has not been linear. Eighteen months ago, Townsend felt there were too many errors in his game, too many soft moments in his defending. That has changed.
“He had too many mistakes in him 18 months ago, but he seems to have eradicated a lot of that,” he said. “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.”
The appeal for Liverpool is obvious. Collins is a modern centre-half with Premier League experience, improving decision-making and a more ruthless streak. Townsend has seen that edge grow.
“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 snag is the price. Brentford do not sell cheaply, especially when it comes to their captain. Townsend openly questioned whether Liverpool would pay the level of fee the Bees would demand. Ability is not the issue; valuation is.
Iraola’s early crossroads
So Iraola’s opening weeks are framed by two big questions, both with Brentford fingerprints on them.
Does he ride into his first season with Alisson as an undisputed No.1 and a frustrated understudy, or does a shock move open the door to a Kelleher reunion on the condition he starts? And at centre-back, does Liverpool push hard for someone like Collins, accepting Brentford’s price and backing his development, or gamble on youth and versatility around Van Dijk and Gomez?
Townsend is clear on one thing: Kelleher and Collins are ready to step up. The real issue is whether Liverpool are ready to move with them.
