Every cloud…
Simon Mignolet will be delighted to hear other football clubs out there are interested in his services.
The Belgium international is still on his summer break after he was in Russia for the World Cup, all the way up until the final weekend. Mignolet did not start a game at the tournament – Thibaut Courtois played every minute in goal – but the experience of being part of Belgium’s most successful ever squad will surely stand to him.
The 30-year-old will find some serious competition at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground when he reports back for a shortened stint of pre-season. The Reds splashed out £66m for Roma No.1 Alisson Becker and he is expected to be top dog at Anfield for 2018/19.
Mignolet and Loris Karius had been duking it out for a starting role last season, with the German goalkeeper seizing it for the run-in. His Champions League final meltdown, which may have been caused by concussion, may have expedited the Alisson transfer but, truth be told, Jurgen Klopp was already looking for a new number one.
Mignolet has been at Liverpool for five seasons but the writing appears to be on the wall. There will only be one spot for a back-up goalkeeper on the Reds bench.
A more attractive proposition may arrive via Barcelona. The La Liga giants are set to lose out on the services of Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen ahead of the new season.
Marca report that the former Ajax star has a release clause of €60m but Barca would be willing to let him go for half that. It would leave them seeking back-up for Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Mignolet is said to be on a four-man shortlist. The other goalkeepers the Catalan side are considering are:
- Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach)
- Marko Dmitrovic (Eibar)
- Geronimo Rulli (Real Sociedad)
Ter Stegen was previously deputy to Claudio Bravo before his move to Manchester City but he has established himself as Barca number one over the past two seasons, making 94 appearances and only missing five La Liga games.
The bench in Barcelona are fighting for a place on Liverpool’s? Mignolet and his representatives have a choice to make.
