Celtic’s identifies £32,000 per week Carabao Cup winner as perfect replacement for Joe Hart – As negotiations are moving smoothly

Celtic’s identifies £32,000 per week Liverpool star as perfect replacement for Joe Hart – As negotiations are moving smoothly

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has declared that he would retire at the end of the season, giving manager Brendan Rodgers a clear priority for the summer transfer window.

Hart has been a virtual constant for the Hoops this season, with captain Callum McGregor the only player with more minutes in all competitions.

Celtic – most minutes played 23/24
Rank	Player	Pos	Mins
1	Callum McGregor	MID	3,097
2	Joe Hart	GK	3,088
3	Matt O’Riley	MID	3,032
4	Liam Scales	DEF	2,970
5	Greg Taylor	DEF	2,756
6	Kyogo Furuhashi	FWD	2,522
7	Alistair Johnston	DEF	2,347
8	Daizen Maeda	FWD	1,894
9	Luis Palma	FWD	1,732
10	Cameron Carter-Vickers	DEF	1,419

Rodgers has placed little trust in his backup goalkeepers since returning to Parkhead last summer. Scott Bain has only made two appearances, both of which came after Hart’s red card in a 3-0 victory against Livingston in September, and Benjamin Siegrist has only appeared on the bench when Hart was absent. They were not even given the opportunity to play in a cup game against Highland League side Buckie Thistle last month.

Rodgers will almost probably look to acquire a new number one, and Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher might be one of the leading possibilities. In January, it was rumored that Celtic were considering a loan-to-buy deal for the Irishman, who is set to depart Anfield at the conclusion of  the season.

Celtic will have to pay “big money” for Kelleher.

In a new Kelleher to Celtic update on Monday, Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke says that the Scottish Premiership title-chasers “would love” to complete a deal over the off-season, but it won’t be easy.

Celtic will need to pay “a big-money fee” to strike a deal with Liverpool, especially following his recent run in the side in place of the injured Alisson, and it may be “tough” to persuade him to turn down Premier League offers.

“Superb” Kelleher just upped the price tag.

Kelleher recently demonstrated his talent with a great performance in the Carabao Cup final, where Liverpool defeated Chelsea 1-0 after extra time. While that may only boost Rodgers’ eagerness to complete a trade, the same can be said for other interested parties, and the Reds now have reason to raise their expectations.

Kelleher made an incredible nine saves throughout the game, six of which came from inside the box, and the advanced data is even more astounding. The 25-year-old kept a clean sheet while facing 2.95 anticipated goals on target, a record accomplished only four times in Europe’s top five leagues during the last seven years.

Gary Lineker, a pundit, gave him high praise, saying:

“[Virgil van Dijk] was excellent, but I have to admit that Kelleher delivered an outstanding performance behind him. “Isn’t he fantastic?”

The Cork-born stopper is poised to keep his spot in goal for his side’s next matchups against Southampton in the FA Cup, as well as Nottingham Forest and Manchester City in the Premier League may hope to position himself front and centre in the shop window.

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