Simon Mignolet has returned to the first team after an injury to Brad Jones and, though the Reds manager has confidence in the Belgian, he wants to bolster his options
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has set his sights on bringing a new goalkeeper to Anfield in the January transfer window.
With Simon Mignolet woefully out of form and the injured Brad Jones’s contract expiring in June, Rodgers has few options to choose from between the posts.
The 21-year-old Danny Ward has made the step up from Liverpool’s reserve team to provide back-up to Mignolet – dropped by Rodgers in December after a string of poor outings – as Jones battles a thigh injury.
Mignolet’s abilities were once again put in the spotlight as his inability to handle a high ball helped AFC Wimbledon draw level in Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round trip to Kingsmeadow and Rodgers accepts he needs to bolster his options.
“I think we need a goalkeeper of some sort; it’s just depending on how long Brad Jones is going to be out injured,” he told reporters.
“We are obviously down and have got two young inexperienced keepers behind Simon, who is only just back in the team, so we need to assess that.”
Rodgers believes that the source of Mignolet’s lack of confidence is a struggle with the demands placed upon him to contribute to Liverpool’s possession-based game. Previous first-choice Pepe Reina was regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest distributors, with the Belgian unable to fill the Spaniard’s shoes fully so far.
“Simon was at the time we were watching him, and still is, a wonderful shot-stopper,” Rodgers insisted.
“He makes big saves but the adaptation for him is coming into a big team where you are not having to make as many saves and therefore concentration is important and you probably have more touches of the ball with your feet than what he might have expected.
“He has come in here under massive expectation to replace a player who was outstanding for Liverpool for seven or eight years.
“He is trying to develop areas of his game. He knows he needs to improve with his feet and he is working hard on that on a daily basis. He is analysing the games and working with the coach and doing everything he can to be the best he can be.”