Caoimhin Kelleher: The Goalkeeper Chelsea and Newcastle Need
Shay Given believes the goalkeeper who could change everything for Chelsea or Newcastle this summer is already proving his worth in west London – and he is not wearing blue.
Caoimhin Kelleher, now impressing as Brentford’s No 1, has convinced the former Republic of Ireland and Newcastle goalkeeper that he is ready to step into the spotlight at one of the Premier League’s heavyweights.
Kelleher’s next step
Given has watched Kelleher’s emergence at Brentford with the eye of a man who knows exactly what a top-level keeper must endure. For him, the Irishman is no longer just a promising deputy from his Liverpool days. He is a fully-formed first-choice goalkeeper in waiting.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, Given made it clear that the 25-year-old should be on the radar of clubs with far bigger budgets and far bigger expectations.
“Could Chelsea or Newcastle come in for Kelleher this summer? Possibly,” he said. The key, in his view, sits with Liverpool and any mechanism they might have to bring him back or block a move. “It would depend on Liverpool and whether they can activate any sort of clause to sign him themselves to stop another club picking him up.”
That is the dilemma. Liverpool’s goalkeeping picture remains shaped by one immovable presence: Alisson.
Liverpool’s balancing act
Alisson is still the undisputed No 1 at Anfield, and that, Given argues, complicates any return for Kelleher.
“A lot will depend on Allison because you wouldn't bring Kelleher back right now if Alisson's staying for the next two seasons,” he said. From a pure career standpoint, it is hard to justify Kelleher trading a guaranteed starting role at Brentford for another stint in the shadows.
Yet Given cannot help but see how neatly Kelleher would fit into two clubs trying to solve long-running issues in goal.
“I think Kelleher would be well-suited for Newcastle right now. I think he'd be well suited for Chelsea too,” he said. Chelsea, in particular, puzzle him. “Chelsea are the club who have surprised me a little bit by not bringing someone in, and I say that as someone who does like Robert Sanchez.”
Chelsea’s restless search for stability
Given’s respect for Sanchez comes with a sharp caveat. He has seen too many big moments go the wrong way.
“I stuck up for him a lot last season but he does keep going over old ground with some of the mistakes he makes,” Given admitted. The pattern is familiar: a spectacular save that hints at elite potential, followed by a wild decision that undoes the good work.
“He can pull off some unbelievable saves and you think this guy’s the real deal only for him to have a mad rush of blood to the head at the edge of the box and halve someone in two.”
Chelsea have spent heavily on goalkeepers since 2018 and still do not feel settled. For Given, that uncertainty cannot drag on.
“I feel that signing a new goalkeeper is something that could happen at Chelsea this summer, and if it’s not Kelleher maybe it’ll be someone else, but that’s a position they need to strengthen in this window, not the next window, but now.”
With Xabi Alonso now in charge at Stamford Bridge, the question is simple: has the new head coach seen enough from Sanchez to trust him, or will he push for a calmer, more reliable presence?
“Xabi Alonso is in place now and he might have seen enough from Robert Sanchez. I’m not sure,” Given said. “I definitely think Newcastle and Chelsea want the strength in that position and Kelleher would be a good signing for either of them.”
Mamardashvili, Alisson and the Liverpool succession
Liverpool have already moved in the market, bringing in Georgian international Giorgi Mamardashvili. The 23-year-old arrived with a strong reputation and has settled reasonably well, but Given is not ready to anoint him as Alisson’s long-term heir.
“Mamardashvili arrived at Liverpool with a big reputation and he’s done okay so far but I’m still not convinced that he is going to be the future number one after Alisson,” he said.
Kelleher, by contrast, has removed the guesswork. His time at Brentford has shown that he can handle the grind and scrutiny of being the main man.
“I am now even more convinced about Kelleher given he’s proven he can be number one at Brentford and he obviously knows Liverpool inside and out.”
There is a quality Given keeps coming back to: composure.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he could come back to the club and what I like about Kelleher is that he brings a real calmness to everything he does. He never seems fazed or fluffed up about anything. He could make the best save in the world and just get up like nothing has happened and set about organising his defenders for a corner.”
That temperament is exactly what Chelsea crave and what Newcastle, in their push to stay among the Premier League’s elite, would welcome.
Built for the pressure
Brentford have given Kelleher what every ambitious goalkeeper needs: games, responsibility, and pressure. According to Given, he is thriving under it.
“I think he’ll continue to develop as a player. I hope he stays at Brentford for at least another season. It’ll do him no harm,” he said. The weekly demands of the Premier League, the need to reset quickly after mistakes and maintain standards, are shaping him into a more complete goalkeeper.
“He’s proving to everyone that he has what it takes to play regularly every week, and that comes with a different side of pressure than being on the bench and coming in and out of the team.”
Off the pitch, the work is just as serious.
“He’s already working on other stuff away from the pitch, in the gym and training, to build up his upper body strength to improve and get better, and he will. I only see positive things for the future for Caoimhin.”
For Chelsea, still searching for calm where chaos too often reigns, and for Newcastle, eager to tighten every screw in a squad built for European pushes, the equation is stark.
If you want fewer “rush of blood” moments and more quiet authority between the posts, Kelleher is no longer a luxury idea. He is an opportunity that might not stay on the table for long.
