Liverpool sign Alisson, record fee for a goalie
July 19, 2018
Liverpool announced late on Thursday that they had acquired Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson from AS Roma.
According to media reports, the transfer is expected to cost the English club roughly €75 million ($87 million) after future additional fees. This would make Alisson, 25, the most expensive goalkeeper ever.
The sum is nearly 50 percent more than the 100 billion Italian lire (about €52 million) Juventus paid to acquire Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon from Parma — although that was way back in 2001. It is also nearly double the €40 million Manchester City more recently paid for Alisson's compatriot Ederson.
Alisson has spent the last two seasons in the Italian capital, making 64 appearances for Roma and keeping 26 clean sheets. He was Brazil's starting goalkeeper for this year's World Cup, conceding three goals in five games in the tournament. He's particularly well known for his skill with the ball at his feet.
Goodbye Karius?
Liverpool's goalkeeping splurge comes nearly two months after a nightmare performance from German keeper Loris Karius in the Champions League final — a match in which they lost 3-1.
Two of the goals Karius conceded in the final were highly embarrassing. He gifted Real Madrid's first by rolling a ball straight into the path of Karim Benzema and mishandled a weak shot from Gareth Bale for Real Madrid's third.
With Alisson in the fold, Liverpool's other two high-level keepers Karius and Simon Mignolet may prove surprlus to requirements. The two split time between the sticks last season — Karius appeared in 33 games for Liverpool last season, Mignolet in 22 — though from around February onwards, Karius was the established first choice.