“The time he’s been playing he’s been absolutely outstanding" - Virgil van Dijk heaps praise on 'fantastic' Liverpool teammate

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on teammate Caoimhín Kelleher for how he has stepped up for the Reds this season. The Irish keeper has filled in for one of the best keepers in the world, Alisson Becker, in his absence this campaign and has done an immense job so far.

Arne Slot has enjoyed a phenomenal start to his tenure at Liverpool with 18 wins, one draw and one defeat in his first 20 games. The Reds are leading both the Premier League and Champions League tables at the moment and look absolutely unstoppable.

Things have, however, been far from easy for Slot as he has had to deal with several injury problems at Anfield already. One of the biggest misses for the Merseyside giants has been Alisson Becker, arguably the most complete goalkeeper in the world.

However, thanks to Kelleher, they have hardly missed their number one who has done admirably in Alisson's absence.

Virgil van Dijk has waxed lyrical about the Republic of Ireland international, highlighting his immense progress over the years. The Dutchman said, as quoted by TBR Football:

“Yeah no, a fantastic goalkeeper, a fantastic human being. It’s never easy to be a backup goalkeeper, but he has an unbelievably amazing goalkeeper ahead of him. The time he’s been playing he’s been absolutely outstanding."

Van Dijk added:

"I enjoy seeing how much he’s improved and playing with confidence. I remember one of his first games, he won us a penalty shootout, he’s come a long way as well and he’s an amazing goalkeeper.”

Kelleher has been a reliable deputy to Alisson for Liverpool over the years having come through the Reds' youth ranks. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp regularly used the Irishman in Cup games during his time at the club.

The 26-year-old has so far made 58 appearances for the Merseyside giants, conceding just 66 times while keeping 21 clean sheets. The Irishman has been tipped with an exit from Anfield as he wants to be the first-choice keeper.

Liverpool signed Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia this summer, loaning him back to the La Liga side for this season. With the Georgian set to move to Anfield next summer, Kelleher could be heading towards the exit door.

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Liverpool reach agreement with Bundesliga-winning defender: Reports

Liverpool have reportedly struck an agreement with highly regarded Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong. Writing for Sky Sports Switzerland, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has revealed that the former Manchester City youth player has given his approval for a switch to Anfield.

Tavolieri has claimed that Frimpong is tailor-made for Arne Slot's Liverpool side and insisted that the Dutch manager could further improve his compatriot. The journalist said, as quoted by Four Four Two:

“[Frimpong's] attacking football fits perfectly with Arne Slot's philosophy, whose game requires effective input from the flanks to unbalance opposing defences."

Tavolieri added:

“At only 23 years old, the Dutchman has a lot of room for improvement, which the ‘Slot Touch’ could further improve.”

Frimpong has established himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen. Since his reported £11.5 million move to BayArena from Celtic in 2021, he has registered 27 goals and 39 assists in 161 appearances.

He played a pivotal role in helping Xabi Alonso's side win the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal without losing a single game last season. With Trent Alexander-Arnold's future at Anfield uncertain, Frimpong could be a solid replacement for the Real Madrid target.