Liverpool should firm up their interest in goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are monitoring Trabzonspor’s Turkish international goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp keen to bring in a long-term second-choice shot-stopper an Anfield.
The Daily Mail understands that Liverpool sent their scouts over the weekend to keep an eye on the 23-year-old Turk and the were left impressed by the performance of Cakir, who made as many as eight saves to help Trabzonspor earn a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce.
Cakir, who is currently rated at £14 million by Trabzonspor, has been on Liverpool’s radar since the start of the summer transfer window and the Reds have informed the Turkish outfit that they will continue to keep tabs on the young shot-stopper over the coming months, with a view to a potential transfer in January. (h/t Daily Mail)
The goalkeeper started his career at 1460 Trabzon in the lower divisions before joining Trabzonspor in 2012, initially linking up with the club’s youth sides before making his first-team debut in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League in 2014.
Cakir was loaned back to his former club and Trabzonspor’s local affiliate, 1460 Trabzon, in 2016 but he returned back to his parent club after the expiry of his loan spell, spending the 2017-18 campaign as the second-choice goalkeeper before establishing him in the No.1 role between the sticks since the second half of the previous campaign.
The 23-year-old, who has already been capped once by Turkey at the senior international level, has made a total of 41 appearances for Trabzonspor in all competitions till date, keeping 9 clean sheets in the process.
To put things into perspective, Liverpool’s links with Cakir isn’t likely to get the fans at Anfield off their feet but he might prove to be a useful acquisition if the Reds go ahead with their interest in January.
The 23-year-old might not have the CV to flatter but he has shown strong signs of promise over the past ten months or so and the Turk apparently has the potential to carve out a bigger reputation for himself in the years to come.
Liverpool signed Adrian on a free-transfer as an understudy to undisputed No.1 Alisson but the Spaniard has been thrust into the first-team fold after the Brazilian suffered an injury in the Reds’ victory over Norwich City.
Barring a bizarre moment against Southampton, the former West Ham man has done a pretty good job between the sticks, with his penalty shootout heroics in the UEFA Super Cup being one of the highlights of his entire career.
However, Liverpool’s interest in Cakir looks completely justified, given that the Turk is still young and he is only going to get better with time.
Alisson is likely to continue as the No.1 for the foreseeable future following a wonderful debut season at Anfield.
While Caoimhin Kelleher continues to be a top young prospect, the 23-year-old’s arrival should go a long way towards solving a nagging issue in a key area of the pitch for Jurgen Klopp.
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With that in mind, Liverpool should continue to monitor Cakir’s development and decide their stance accordingly.