Liverpool And Ireland Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher Set To Premier League Rivals Brentford 6c4m2v

Liverpool and Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher will fellow Premier League side Brentford after the two clubs agreed a deal.

Twenty-six-year-old Irish shot stopper Kelleher will move from Anfield to West London for a £12.5 million fee.

With the potential to rise to £18 million in add-ons, Kelleher replaces the outgoing Mark Flekken.

Dutchman Flekken is leaving the Bees to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The German outfit will pay around £8 million for their new keeper, paving the way for Kelleher’s move.

Thank you for everything, Kelleher ❤️ pic.twitter.com/roSa90tWPt

— Shanky (@ShankyLFC) June 1, 2025

Caoimhin Kelleher s Brentford 4m5j4q

With one year remaining on his current deal, Liverpool were always likely to cash in on Kelleher.

He was already behind first-choice keeper Alisson Becker. But the impending arrival of Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili in July will only see Kelleher fall further down the pecking order.

For this reason, the move makes sense for all parties. Kelleher has played just 25 Premier League games since debuting for the Reds in 2020.

He has made more than 40 cup appearances, though. This means that Kelleher has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two EFL Cups.

But with even less game time likely next season, a move to a solid mid-table Premier League club like Brentford looks wise.

Mark Flekken Leaves Brentford With Excellent Stats 171gk

Outgoing Brentford number one Mark Flekken quickly established himself as a fan favourite.

He arrived from German club Freiburg in May 2023 for a reported fee of £11 million.

🚨🔴⚪️ Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford, here we go! Deal done for the goalkeeper to from Liverpool on £18m package fee add-ons included.

Mark Flekken will leave Brentford and Bayer Leverkusen for €10m 🔴⚫️🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/uDfhSEoV8U

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 1, 2025

No Bundesliga keeper had kept more clean sheets in the two seasons before he left Freiburg.

Since then, he has played in all but two of Brentford’s Premier League matches, recording 14 clean sheets and even three assists.

Such has been the quality of Flekken’s performances that he was among the fantasy players of the season for many FPL fans.

Caoimhin Kelleher Pronunciation Guide For Brentford Fans 4e3c48

A popular Irish name, Caoimhin is notoriously difficult to pronounce for those unfamiliar with it.

Brentford fans will be hoping to avoid embarrassment and make sure they’re saying their new keeper’s name right.

Phonetically, Caoimhin is pronounced “Kee-veen”. The ‘mh’ in Irish names is pronounced similarly to the ‘v’ in English, as seen in other Irish names, such as Niamh (pronounced ‘Neev’).

Thankfully, Kelleher is a lot easier to pronounce for non-native Irish speakers.

Caoimhin Kelleher Stats 173q3f

This season, Kelleher has played a total of 20 times in all competitions for Liverpool.

He has nine clean sheets in those games, conceding 20 goals.

Overall, he has played 67 games for the senior Liverpool side, as well as 35 times for the U23s and 17 for the U18s.

Originally from Cork in Ireland, Kelleher ed Liverpool as a youth player from Ringmahon Rovers in 2015.

You were a good guy Kelleher. The best backup GK we’ve ever seen

pic.twitter.com/zFIfWdCuwj

— Braden 🐦‍🔥 (@Braden_LFC) June 1, 2025

He made his senior international debut for the Republic of Ireland against Hungary, on 8 June 2021.

That match ended in a goalless draw in Budapest, with Kelleher replacing Gavin Bazunu in the second half during the friendly fixture.

To date, Kelleher has 22 senior international caps for the Irish side. He has kept eight clean sheets while on senior International duty.