Why Jasper Cillessen would be a fantastic signing for Liverpool
With the transfer window wide open, Liverpool gaffer Jurgen Klopp has set his eyes on Barcelona stopper Jasper Cillessen. The German manager must sign a world-class goalkeeper to take charge as the official No.1.
According to reports from ESPN, Klopp has shown interest in signing Cillessen, whose market value is around £30million.
The fans have lost hope on Loris Karius, following his blunders during the Champions League final against Real Madrid. Karius’ performance against Tranmere Rovers in the recent friendly also raised a lot of eyebrows. The Reds clearly can’t take a chance with Karius if they want to win silverware in the upcoming season.
Now, let us take a look at the reasons why Klopp must sign Cillessen from Barcelona.
Experienced stopper
The versatile stopper started his career at Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie, in Netherlands top-tier football.
Following an impressive spell, Dutch heavyweights Ajax took notice of him and brought him to Johan Cruyff Arena. Cillessen spent six seasons with the club, winning the Eredivisie during his first three seasons. He played a crucial role in their 2013/14 title triumph where he was their go-to stopper.
Cillessen and clean sheets go hand in hand
Cillessen was a beast in front of the goalpost. During his time in the Dutch league, he made a total of 143 appearances for Ajax where he kept 63 clean sheets and conceded 119 goals.
Helped Barcelona win back-to-back Copa del Rey
Following his impressive tenure with Ajax, he came on Barcelona’s radar. Impressed with his skills, the La Liga giants signed him in August 2016.
Despite his fantastic work between the sticks, Cillessen hardly got a chance to play for Barcelona in La Liga. With Marc Andre ter Stegen as the club’s No.1 goalkeeper, Cillessen got to represent the club in just two Spanish top-flight matches in two years.
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But Cillessen proved his worth with his performance in the Copa del Rey in both 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons. He started in 17 of the 18 games and helped Barcelona win the title in both seasons. With 11 clean sheets from 21 games for the Catalonia club, the Dutch stopper has already cemented his legacy in Barcelona.
Verdict
Having represented the Dutch in 40 international games, and with a solid reputation at Ajax and Barcelona, Cillessen would definitely be a great signing for the Merseysiders. Liverpool must bring in an experienced shot-stopper and to that end, Cillessen will be the right person to protect the Reds’ goalpost this upcoming season.
