In their pursuit of a new Premier League goalkeeper this summer, Nottingham Forest may be planning Matt Turner’s departure.
Among all clubs, Nottingham Forest can speak to the immense influence goalkeepers have on a season’s outcome. They reached the Premier League two years ago, with Brice Samba as their star. They may have remained in the top flight for the better part of a year since it was Keylor Navas’ finest hour.
But this year, as a team, Forest and the goalkeepers haven’t exactly been getting along. The Reds have gone through three different goalkeepers, each of whom has performed differently. When Espirito Santo joined the team, Matt Turner started the season and seemed to be destined to stay on top. However, the head coach made the switch due to a series of high-profile mistakes.
Unexpectedly, Odysseas Vlachodimos was also not convincing. The Greek international joined on the summer transfer deadline from Benfica, although he failed to make an impact in his first five Premier League appearances.
Since his summer move from Strasbourg for $6.2 million, Matz Sels has taken over as the primary goalkeeper. Thus, he will continue to play a pivotal role in the team this year. Yet, a name that Forest is already acquainted with has come up again. A summer transfer to the City Ground is high on Espirito Santo’s wish list.
The Daily Mail reports that the Portuguese coach is reportedly keen on having Forest look for a new goalkeeper again. Thus, he has his sights set on Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher. It seems like the 25-year-old will be leaving Liverpool this summer. He is eager to get consistent playing time this season.
Another club interested in signing the Irish international is Scottish side Celtic. His chances of getting consistent playing time are high with any team. Because of his performance in the Carabao Cup final, Kelleher has earned more playing time for Liverpool this season.
Due to Alisson’s injury, he started the last eight Premier League games in a row; nevertheless, he was benched for the most recent match. Jurgen Klopp praised Kelleher as “outstanding” for his bravery during the 2023-24 season. The report adds that the Liverpool manager is a major supporter of the player.
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Considering their past performance, it’s understandable that they were eager to get out of the situation where Forest had Turner and Vlachodimos as their options. Having the incorrect goalkeepers might send them tumbling back to the Championship. Especially, ever since the Premier League hit them with a significant points punishment.
Particularly with Turner, they risked losing their position as a top-division club in the past. Forest knew going in that the USMNT man had some flaws in his game when they bought him from Arsenal last summer. Going head-to-head with Aaron Ramsdale in cup games was a certain way to show that he wasn’t exactly a natural with the ball.
At the highest level of European soccer, teams could not afford to have a talented goalkeeper without strong ball-handling abilities; as Turner’s experience last season seems to demonstrate.
Photos: IMAGO / Action Plus.
