GOALKEEPER DILEMMA FOR LIVERPOOL: SUNDERLAND KEEPER ON THEIR LIST

Caoimhin Kelleher, the backup goalie for Liverpool, is having an incredible season in net. Even though he has performed well, this has only fueled rumors about the Irishman’s potential leaving Merseyside. The young keeper has been linked to a £20 million move to clubs like Celtic, Brentford, and Nottingham Forest, but Liverpool would probably prefer to hold onto the Irishman.

Liverpool would not obstruct Kelleher’s path, though, if he were to press for a transfer in the event that a reasonable offer was made. Thus, the Reds may place a high priority on adding a backup goalkeeper during the summer transfer window.

ANTHONY PATTERSON: WHO IS HE?
Goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, a 23-year-old Sunderland player, is presently competing in the EFL Championship. Patterson has already made 119 senior appearances for the Black Cats despite his youth, and he has established himself as one of their most valuable prospects.

The young player was crucial to Sunderland’s 2022 promotion from EFL League One, and he was also a major factor in their incredible season of the previous year, which saw them make it to the Play-Offs and nearly secure back-to-back promotions.

Although both Patterson and Sunderland have had a somewhat disappointing season in 2023–24, a lot of problems behind the scenes have clouded many of the achievements and performances. Even so, Patterson is still among the nation’s most gifted young goalkeepers and has the potential to be a fantastic player in the future.

The successful academy in Sunderland
Many will recall Jordan Henderson, who also attended the Sunderland Academy, being signed by Liverpool in 2011. A number of extremely gifted players have come out of Sunderland’s academy in recent years, and Liverpool has been linked to several of them.

The best of the lot is 16-year-old Chris Rigg, but Anfield moves have also been linked to Patterson and midfielder Dan Neil. If Patterson leaves and Kelleher departs, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Liverpool pursued one of these players.

In addition to gaining a very gifted goalkeeper with a high ceiling, Liverpool would also be adding to the English requirement for the Premier League team.

SLOCKING THE DATA
Having said that, let’s examine the statistics pertaining to Patterson’s Sunderland performances in more detail. First of all, in his 119 senior games, Patterson has given up 141 goals, but he has frequently played with a very poor defense in front of him. That works out to 1.19 goals conceded on average per game, but the caliber of the team does matter a lot.

Despite this, Patterson has kept 35 clean sheets in 119 games, including 11 in 41 games this season for Sunderland. The 23-year-old was tipped by many to win goalkeeper of the year after keeping 14 clean sheets in 46 games the previous season.

Patterson would fit Liverpool’s play style when it comes to passing out from the back, as the chart above illustrates. Daniel Ballard and Luke O’Nien, two of Sunderland’s most reliable defenders, both look to play out from the back and are fairly at ease with the ball.

Aside from his brief build-up play, Patterson has occasional poor decisions and has significant distribution issues. However, these things are quite typical for a goalie this young, and I’m sure Liverpool’s strong goalkeeping staff could develop Patterson into a very good goalie.

Patterson and Kelleher have very similar impressive penalty save records, ranking very highly in that area. This is one of their main points of similarity. In general, Patterson’s skill as a shot-blocker is quite remarkable. However, Liverpool supporters may find it bothersome to constantly draw parallels between Patterson and current Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford!

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