Did Liverpool let perfect Alisson successor leave? Reds braced for goalkeeper change as Brazilian No.1 heads towards free agency in 2027

Several seasons at Anfield were spent trying to find a reliable last line of defence, with Jurgen Klopp carefully piecing together a title-winning puzzle. South American shot-stopper Alisson proved to be a shrewd addition in the summer of 2018.

He did come with a £67 million ($90m) price tag, briefly making him the most expensive keeper on the planet, but that has proven to be money well spent. Alisson has taken in over 330 appearances for Liverpool - famously scoring one goal along the way - and boasts Premier League title triumphs and a Champions League win on his glittering CV.

A 12-month extension option in his contract has been triggered, but no fresh terms have been thrashed out. That means, after passing his 34th birthday, Alisson will be leaving Merseyside when the current campaign comes to a close.

Replacing him will be no easy task, given all that he has achieved across nine years in England, with Giorgi Mamardashvili still considered to be a back-up option while 18-year-old Lucca Brughmans - who will be joining from Belgian side Genk - remains a relatively untested work in progress.

Asked if it will be virtually impossible for Liverpool to find a ready-made replacement for Alisson, former Reds star Warnock - who was speaking in association with Gambler Media - told GOAL: “It's interesting because you could go through so many people who say they're so hard to replace, but ultimately you do find replacements. They might not be the same type of player in the way that they play the game, but they'll have a different type of effect on the team.

“When Alisson came in, he was a bit of an unknown to a lot of people in England. Hadn't really played that much at Roma, and then came in and everyone was blown away as to why no-one else had bought this goalkeeper and the quality that he had - because of how good he's been both on the ball and in 1v1 situations.

“His record when he plays against when he doesn't play is quite incredible. So I think to find a replacement is going to be very difficult.”

Warnock went on to say, with a Republic of Ireland international severing ties with Liverpool when heading to Brentford in 2025: “I thought they had an adequate replacement in [Caoimhin] Kelleher when he was at the club. I love Kelleher and what he's about.

“I think he's been in and around Alisson for the best part of five, six years, taught him so much. I think you can see traits of that in his game now - with his demeanour, his calmness, his ability in 1v1s. Obviously, he wanted first-team football and wasn't as patient to wait round, which is understandable.

“But now they've got themselves in a situation where they've tried to buy Mamardashvili. At the moment, he's not good enough on the ball, both with his feet and his hands. He was brought in as a potential shot-stopper, which is a different way of playing. But when you're Liverpool and you're expected to dominate the ball, you've got to be good with your feet as well. You've got to be able to start attacks. I just don't think he's up to that level yet.

“But obviously, they've signed a young boy from Genk. It's a huge gamble, having only played 12 games and spending £35 million on them. But they obviously see something special in him.”

Alisson will be hoping to bow out as a Liverpool player on a high, with the Reds back in the hunt for major honours after enduring a trophyless 2025-26 campaign that ultimately cost Arne Slot his job.

Andoni Iraola is now at the helm, with the Spaniard seeing his side held to successive 2-2 draws by Newcastle and Nottingham Forest at the start of 2026-27. A first win, alongside more precious points, will be sought when taking in a trip to newly-promoted Ipswich on Friday.