Chelsea 'eye £35m Liverpool transfer' despite having 10 players in same position

Chelsea are reportedly prepared to match Liverpool's valuation for goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher next summer.

Kelleher has been impressive for Liverpool, stepping in seamlessly yet again for the injured Alisson, having kept four clean sheets in his eight appearances this season. He has contributed to six wins and a draw since the Brazilian's hamstring injury on October 5.

However, despite his form, the 25-year-old is expected to seek regular game-time away from Anfield, as manager Arne Slot has confirmed Alisson will reclaim his starting position once fit. With Liverpool having signed Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer before loaning him back to Valencia for the campaign, Kelleher could potentially be third-choice next season.

Chelsea, currently relying on the inconsistent Robert Sanchez, see an opportunity to bolster their goalkeeping ranks. According to , they are willing to part with £35million to secure Kelleher's services in the summer, a sum they believe will persuade Liverpool to sell, even to a direct competitor.

Napoli and Juventus are also said to be interested, but Kelleher reportedly prefers to remain in the Premier League. If Chelsea were to sign Kelleher, they would likely need to offload some of their current surplus of goalkeepers.

Enzo Maresca's squad is brimming with goalkeepers including Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mike Penders, Gabriel Slonina, Luke Campbell, Ted Curd, and Teddy Sharman-Lowe. If Kelleher joins their ranks, he'll be the staggering 11th shot-stopper on the books.

The Irish star's departure from Liverpool, a club he has been with since his teenage years in 2015, seems imminent. With Nottingham Forest previously failing to meet the Reds' £35m price tag, Kelleher himself made his ambitions clear.

"Obviously my intention is to do as well as I can and show my ability," he recently said. "That is where my head is at with the situation. The best thing I can do is go and play well and maybe give the manager something to think about, give him a headache.

"But it does work both ways. I played so many times last season - and if you do well your valuation goes up because obviously the club is going to want a good profit. I was clear (in the summer) that I wanted to play first-team football, whether that was here or elsewhere. I wanted to be a No.1.

"That was my thought process - but it's always been my thought process because obviously I am a football player and like every player, I want to play. I'm not going to enjoy myself or be happy sitting on the bench."