Alisson Becker

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1020055679489454080[/ame]

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/loonyroon/status/1020056155249364994[/ame]

[Leyton388]

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/TimesSport/status/1020054286888251392[/ame]

[Shaggy]

Error-free Alisson is just what Liverpool need

Paul Joyce

For all the figures framing Alisson Becker’s prospective move to Liverpool — from the size of a world-record fee in the region of £66 million for a goalkeeper to the impressive save percentages — it is the big, fat zero that really catches the eye.

The Roma player did not make a single error that led to a goal in 37 games in the Italian league last season and that, in a nutshell, is why Liverpool have pursued the Brazil international so vigorously.

For Liverpool, a No 1 who helps in the pursuit of prizes is an obvious upgrade. Given that a deal for Lyons’ Nabil Fekir was aborted at the 11th hour earlier in the summer, there will be no celebrating at Anfield just yet, despite the club reaching agreement with Roma and being granted permission to speak to Alisson. There is still a medical to complete today, and a six-year contract to sign. But the prevailing mood is one of cautious optimism, particularly because this is viewed as a game-changing signing.

One by one Liverpool’s weaknesses are being eradicated by the manager Jürgen Klopp and the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group. A new goalkeeper was needed after the shortcomings of Simon Mignolet and then Loris Karius fuelled an erosion of trust in the team last season.

Alisson, who has been at Roma since 2016, is the very definition of a modern goalkeeper. He is adept with the ball at his feet, having made 1,082 passes in Serie A last season with an accuracy of 78.93 per cent, but it is his presence, shot-stopping ability and reliability that make him stand out. His save ratio was above 79 per cent. Mignolet’s was 59 per cent, Karius’s 69 per cent, both from 19 games.

Liverpool’s decision to invest so heavily in the 25-year-old — who ironically did concede seven goals against them in last season’s Champions League semi-final ties — signals a further realisation by Klopp that nature often beats nurture when there is pressure to challenge for the top honours. In successive transfer windows, the Liverpool manager has sanctioned two world-record fees, the defender Virgil van Dijk having arrived for £75 million in January. Van Dijk and Alisson are viewed as long-term additions, not quick fixes.

Klopp could not afford to stick with what he had. Karius has returned to pre-season training still broken following his Champions League ordeal against Real Madrid, despite the in-house explanation that he was concussed at the time of the errors.

The only goalkeeper to keep more clean sheets in Serie A last term than Alisson (17) was Napoli’s Pepe Reina (18), who Liverpool have not successfully replaced since offloading him in 2013 to save on wages. That shows how far the club’s transfer policy has evolved — no more shortcuts.

The other factor in the change in transfer strategy is Klopp’s ability to attract top players.

Not long ago Steven Gerrard would be asked by the hierarchy to text potential targets and use his status as a pull, but now the manager’s magnetism makes the difference.

Highest fees for goalkeepers

Five of the world’s most expensive goalkeepers could be in the Premier League next season

Alisson £66 million
Roma to Liverpool, 2018

Ederson £35 million
Benfica to Manchester City, 2017

Gianluigi Buffon £32.6 million
Parma to Juventus, 2001

Jordan Pickford £22 million
Sunderland to Everton, 2017

Alex Meret £19.8 million
Udinese to Napoli 2018

Bernd Leno £19.3 million
Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal, 2018

David De Gea £19 million
Atletico Madrid to Man United, 2011

Manuel Neuer £19 million
Schalke to Bayern Munich, 2011

[Ams12]

What a mad ****er! Lool gonna give me the jeebies everytime he takes on the opposition attacker!


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[baitman]

Yeh, he seems ok.

[BobTheCharmer]

What a handsome chap he is.

With the worst acne I've ever seen on a pro footballer.

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1020058986442313729[/ame]

[baitman]

With the worst acne I've ever seen on a pro footballer.

So is that a no to a reach around

[Kenneth]

[BobTheCharmer]

Acne aside it's ****ing brilliant. Another weak spot sorted. We simply have to win at least one trophy this season. Exciting times my fellow reds. Exciting times.

[Irishnev]

I still can’t believe it.......immense signing. We signed the best available GK in the world and this summer has shown we are seen as a world player again. In terms of profile he is the biggest name we signed this summer and arguably the biggest since Torres.

Mental stuff.

[labourRed]

World record GK and CB. That's one way to solve a weak link.

Also that fee is a lot better than he was linked for. When you take in the Ward sale it's half an Oblak.

[vlahka]

Alisson Becker is officially a Liverpool player, and the goalkeeper has already opened up on his exchange with Mohamed Salah the day before his world-record move.

" Yesterday, he sent me a message saying: ‘Hey, what are you waiting for?’ As the negotiations were at an advanced stage, I replied to him straight away saying: ‘Calm down, I’m on my way!’"