Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that he expects goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to remain at the club for the 2019/20 season.
Klopp told the official Liverpool FC website that he had spoken with the Belgium international on numerous occasions in recent months and believes that he will stay at Anfield.
The liverpoolfc.com report by Sam Williams added that Mignolet has impressed his team-mates and manager with his application and attitude despite playing just two first-team games last season as a backup to Alisson.
Klopp is quoted in the report as saying: “At a club like Liverpool you need two No. 1’s at least and we have that, that’s cool, with Ali and Simon.”
Mignolet’s status as Liverpool’s number one was first challenged by the arrival of Loris Karius in 2016 but the former started 47 of 76 Premier League games over the following two seasons and remained at Anfield while Karius was dispatched on loan to Besiktas last year.
However, the performances of Alisson last season have seen him become Liverpool’s undisputed number one. The Brazil goalkeeper started every Premier League and Champions League game for the Reds in 2018/19 and won the Premier League Golden Glove last season with 21 clean sheets, conceding only 22 goals in 38 games in the division.
By contrast, Mignolet shipped 24 goals in his 19 league appearances in 2017/18 and has kept just 16 clean sheets in 47 league games since 2016.
Also, the Belgium goalkeeper has been culpable for 18 errors leading to goals in the Premier League, according to its official website. Having played 245 games in the division, that works out at one costly error every 13.6 games.
However, Alisson committed three errors that led to goals last season in the Premier League, an average of one every 12.6 games. Statistically, Mignolet is slightly less likely to make a costly error than his Liverpool team-mate.
Also, the 31-year-old is hugely adept at saving penalties. Of the 23 spot-kicks he has faced in his Liverpool career, he has stopped eight, giving him a 34.8% penalty save rate.
Remarkably, Alisson only faced one spot-kick all last season for Liverpool and didn’t even need to save it, Riyad Mahrez blazing over the bar in a goalless draw against Manchester City. His career record is five saves out of 16 penalties, a success rate of 31.25%. With Alisson making his senior debut in the same year that Mignolet first played for Liverpool (2013), it is a fair comparison.
Alisson’s vastly superior goals conceded and clean sheets record means that he is certain to be Liverpool’s main goalkeeper again next season.
Mignolet has made errors in the past but his penalty record is excellent and, with young goalkeepers Caoimhin Kelleher and Vitoslav Jaros both injured and lacking senior experience, Klopp still needs the Belgium international as a reliable backup to Alisson, so keeping him at Anfield would be the correct call.
Liverpool fans, should Mignolet remain at the club or is it time for him to be sold? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
