Liverpool almost doubled the world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper in order to sign Alisson from Roma, but Jurgen Klopp knows better than most that a good shot-stopper can be priceless. Perhaps more fittingly, Klopp knows better than most that a bad one can be just as costly. Indeed, had it not been for the apparent incompetence of Loris Karius on a fateful night in Kiev, Liverpool could well be going into this new season as European champions.
Since that Champions League final loss to Real Madrid, it has been widely assumed that Karius’s two mistakes had a telling contribution on Liverpool’s eventual decision to make a £67.5m move for a world-class replacement. It brings an end to a long-running battle for the No 1 jersey at Anfield. No longer will Klopp have to choose between two goalkeepers whose abilities are evidently more suited to the role of second-choice. Or will he?
There is, of course, no guarantee that Alisson will adapt to the rigors of the English game and Manchester United will be the first to tell them that even the most talented can struggle. David de Gea looked completely out of his depth when he first arrived at Old Trafford, but he has since grown into the best goalkeeper in the world.
But there is also good reason why Liverpool have invested such a huge amount in the 25-year-old, and why Chelsea would have been willing to match it had Thibaut Courtois departed for Real Madrid. Alisson will join a treasure trove of goalkeeping talent in the Premier League, and his performances in Serie A suggest he will add value to it. Although different from English football, his displays in Italy’s top flight last season stand up to those he will now be measured against. The king of the posts in the Premier League is undeniably De Gea. The Spaniard has been named in the Team of the Year in five of the last six seasons and the most recent campaign was arguably his best yet.
De Gea made a mammoth 115 saves in 37 appearances, which is 23 ahead of his nearest rival Petr Cech (92). He also saved a remarkable 80.3 per cent of shots faced, a significant 10 per cent better than second-placed Hugo Lloris (70.1%). Alisson, however, matches up in both respects. Like De Gea, he conceded just 28 goals in 37 appearances. He made 109 saves at a rate of 79.3 per cent and, also like De Gea, made no mistakes leading to goals. These numbers are not better than De Gea’s, but are significantly closer to them than other Premier League goalkeepers.
The one and only area De Gea falls short is with his feet. His distribution is not seen as a concern for Manchester United, but there is no denying that Ederson and Hugo Lloris are better in possession. That helps City and Tottenham to play out from the back in the style preferred by their respective managers.
But Alisson is, notably, a match in this area as well. In fact, he is the only goalkeeper out of the seven listed above to have attempted over 1000 passes last season (1082). Notably, he completed more passes (854) than any of his Premier League rivals as well. His passing accuracy (78.9%) is only bettered by Ederson (85.3%). According to the data, Alisson looks to be a jack of all trades rather than a master of one. He saves the vast majority of shots against him while also retaining the ball skills expected of any player hailing from the Samba nation that is Brazil.
It is for this reason why Liverpool moved so quickly to sign him any why Roma valued him so highly. The Reds perhaps paid more than they would have wanted in order to guard against another clubs hijacking the deal, but a no one will be questioning the price if he succeeds. Whether he can challenge De Gea for his Premier League thrown remains to be seen and it may take a season for him to bring his best form from Italy, but his displays have already justified the significant gamble Liverpool have taken on him.