Arne Slot promotes youngster to first team squad as Liverpool make transfer call

A look at the goalkeeping situation at Liverpool as the department continues to undergo plenty of changes this summer transfer window

The departure of Adrian will see Liverpool promote Vitezslav Jaros to the first-team fold this summer.

And the ECHO understands the Reds don't plan to add a more experienced goalkeeper to their ranks following the exit of the 37-year-old shot-stopper over the weekend.

Adrian was offered a new contract last month but has chosen to pursue his options elsewhere with Real Betis, Liverpool's opponents in Pittsburg later this month, a potential destination for a goalkeeper who made 26 appearances during his five years on Merseyside.

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The veteran kept goal in the 2022 Community Shield victory over Manchester City and was also the hero when Jurgen Klopp's side bested Chelsea on penalties in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup at Vodafone Park in Istanbul.

However, it is the Spaniard's 11 Premier League appearances at the start of the title-winning campaign of 2019/20 that he is perhaps most fondly remembered for at Anfield and he leaves with the best wishes of everyone at the club.

Adrian's exit will see the club move Czechia international Jaros up to the senior fold upon his return to Merseyside later this summer to provide back-up to Caoimhin Kelleher and Alisson Becker.

Jaros has impressed club officials during his time away from the club where he won the league and cup double with Austrian side Sturm Graz, making 21 appearances in the process. Jaros, who turned 23 later this month, was also part of the Czechia squad that was knocked out of the European Championship at the group stage and is currently enjoying an end-of-season holiday.

What happens with the rest of a rapidly changing goalkeeper department, however, is difficult to predict this summer. Ireland goalkeeper Kelleher admitted on international duty last month that he might have to look elsewhere for regular minutes with Alisson established firmly as the first choice at Anfield.

Kelleher told a press conference in his homeland: "I think it's a good moment for myself coming off the back of the season where I played the most games I ever have, my confidence is obviously very high and, like you say, I think clubs will have been looking as well and seen me play, so there'll hopefully be some interest elsewhere.

"It's obviously given me a lot of confidence and I think that time is right now. I don't know what's happening yet with Liverpool but I'm open to all options. If I do move, everything has to be right for myself, it has to be the right club, the right thing for myself and that could be in England and it could be abroad, to make the right decision it has to be a good fit for myself most importantly.

"I can't make the final decision to say that I want to go and leave, there's a lot from the club as well, if they feel they need me to stay and need me as cover. At the end of the day, it's not fully my decision if I want to go and leave because obviously the club have the final say.

"I've played a lot of games and had that taste this season of being No.1, whether that's at Liverpool or elsewhere that remains to be seen. My main focus at the moment is to be No.1 I'm at that stage in my career where I need to make that next step and play week in and week out so I think that's all it was, really, a reflection on the season and my ambitions going forward. I don't think there was any internal doubt from myself, I think anyone at Liverpool would be the same, it was more [about] me getting the opportunity to prove to everyone else that I'm good enough to play at this level."

Nottingham Forest saw a £15m bid turned down by Liverpool in January and Brentford have previously been credited with an interest in Kelleher. The Reds are not looking to actively offload their No.2 but interest and the player's wishes will dictate a lot of what happens in the transfer window. Should Kelleher be sold, however, Liverpool would likely assess the options available in the transfer market.

The club are planning for the long-term with Alisson in their ranks though. The Brazil goalkeeper, who was knocked out of the Copa America over the weekend on penalties to Darwin Nunez's Uruguay, is viewed as the world's best in his position at Liverpool and the club will not entertain any overtures after he was tentatively linked with the Saudi Pro League earlier this year.

The plan to promote Jaros comes on the back of long-serving head of goalkeeping John Achterberg and his assistant Jack Robinson leaving the club and Fabian Otte joining. The new coach will move to Anfield in the coming weeks after his spell with the United States national side came to an end when they were eliminated from the Copa America.

Otte was an appointment of Hans Leitert, who was installed last month as owner Fenway Sports Group's new global head of goalkeeping. The Austrian was immediately tasked with restructuring the keeper department at the AXA Training Centre and further additions to the backroom team remain in the pipeline with head coach Arne Slot confirming on Friday that two more appointments will be made imminently.

"What has been announced already is Sipke Hulshoff, who I worked with at Feyenoord and our former club Cambuur as well," Slot said. "He’s sitting here in the room as well, like you probably saw at the back.

"That’s been announced already. Goalkeeping coach has been announced. We've spoken to him, the two of us (Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes), and we’re really happy that he’s going to join our team. And we’re expecting two others to join. More announcements to come in the near future."