18 May 2013

'He can do it' - Boss tips 'amazing' £20m star to make 'top 4' move. To LFC...?

Liverpool continue to be linked with a summer move for Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, but Royals boss Nigel Adkins seems determined to keep hold of the gifted stopper.

McCarthy put in another excellent performance in Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, and the BBC match report claimed:

"The margin of victory could have been greater but for a number of fine saves from Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy"

When quizzed after the game about speculation linking McCarthy with a move to Liverpool, Adkins insisted that Reading are 'not looking to lose' the 23-year old, but conceded he would go on to become a 'top four goalkeeper'. He told reporters:

"I'm sure there will be lots of speculation, but we are in a good position in respect of the finances and there is good stability here. We're not looking to lose Alex and are looking to build for the future.

"He made some excellent saves and has demonstrated that on a few times now. We believe he can be a top-four keeper at international level and, if you can play out from the back, he can do it"


Adkins seems to be hinting that McCarthy is destined for a 'top four' team, and with Liverpool on the rise, the Reds could definitely be back amongst the Champions League places over the next two seasons.

Reading defender Jem Karacen believes McCarthy is worth big bucks. He toldthe Daily Mail:

"He's amazing. You can see the top clubs knocking on the door. [He is worth] around 15 to £20million. You see how much young English players go for - there are some crazy sums out there. I don't see why he shouldn't be in that bracket. It would definitely take a lot of money to get him away from Reading"

£15-£20m for a goalkeeper with only 11 senior appearances? No chance. Yes, McCarthy is clearly a great talent, but (IMO) it would be financial negligence to risk that amount of cash on goalkeeper who is totally unproven across a whole season.

Rodgers worked with McCarthy during his ill-fated six-month spell at Reading in 2009, and after watching him thwart Liverpool, he enthused:

"That's arguably the best goalkeeping performance I've ever seen. He's genuinely going to be a top, top keeper and to perform like that having been out for so long was absolutely staggering"

In his column for the Liverpool Daily Post in April, Anfield legend Mark Lawrenson urged his old club to sign McCarthy:

"You wonder if Liverpool might take a little look at him. Rodgers will have known about him from his own time at the Madejski. At 23, he would fit the criteria of Fenway Sports Group. And Reading’s relegation would make it easier".

If Pepe Reina stays at Liverpool, McCarthy would make a great understudy, and he has the ability to provide the Spaniard with some serious competition, something that he (arguably) hasn't had for years.





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16 comments:

  1. JEM KARACEN thinks ALEX McCARTHY is worth 15-20m.Was that the joke or the punchline?

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  2. Mr. Point Of View3:07 pm, May 18, 2013

    a gk is our last line, should it be a proven gk right? no offend for Alex no doubt he a rising star but that not enuf to be a LFC gk right? i mean a TOP TEAM (even thou we are not anymore but im confident we will be back). If invest for future then i would say YES but for PEPE replacement i think a bit backward

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  3. Courtois from atletico Madrid is the next big thing great keepers for Future

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  4. liverpool4life5653:39 pm, May 18, 2013

    Chelsea own him.... They wouldn't sell there future number 1 to us would they? No...

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  5. why go for Alex Mccarthy when a keeper of Ceaser quality in QPR is up for grap,if Reina leaves then the best keeper to replace Reina is Ceaser now in QPR.

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  6. Mike Aitcheson3:51 pm, May 18, 2013

    Yet another flavour of the month. put with McManaman, Cisse, Jelavic and co in the 'did it for a short while ' club.
    Not for me at anywhere near that price. £5m is pushing it. He's had ONE great game.

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  7. agree mike heres the punchline goalies in crap teams look good because they have to make a lot of saves and the law of averages means they will pull some good ones off....the great goalies do nothing for 80mins then pull off a save this kid is 3 to 5 mill tops and that is being generous

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  8. don't push it Mr Karacen

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  9. 1) You won't be a top four team in the near future. He is better than you.
    2) He's going nowhere this summer.
    3) KaracAn.
    4) Mike Aitcheson - his best game this season wasn't even against you. it was against Swansea before injury. He forced his way into the first team this year past Federici and we've always known he's destined for big things, he's not perfect yet but he's bloody good. Better than Butland and destined to push Hart. His performances against you and Liverpool just reiterated that he can do it consistently. He could do with a year as a first team player and with an ambitious team such as us in the Championship has to be good - if he moves he won't be willing to sit on the bench, only place I worry about him going to is somewhere like West Ham, as a stepping stone to greatness.

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  10. Caesar? Good shout. Arsenal bound though by looks of things.

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  11. It was obvious we would be linked with this goalkeeper soon as he had a good game against us and if some team wants to pay over the top for him cause he has had a couple of great games then good for them.He was Readings second string and if he is that great how come no 1 was talking about him last season when reading were in the championship bit like charley adam.He may well turn out to be a great keeper but i would fancy paying over the odds and taking the chance to be honest.Its being talked about Reina pos going to barca for around 8-10 mill who has had at least 2 golden gloves that i can remember playing for us yet Mcarthy is pos worth 15-20 mill cause hes had 2 or 3 good games this season but has stood out because they were against liverpool and man city.

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  12. Bet you didnt say that about him last season

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  13. Your manager should of been sacked ages ago cause you have had this amazing goalkeeper in your squad all this time yet he was always on the bench lol

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  14. 3-4m maybe?, no way 20m.
    I think you nailed it with the idea if we keep reina we should maybe bring him in but if reina leaves we need to aim higher, not sign someone who might not be able to fight off brad jones.

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  15. Muhammad Ibrahim1:13 pm, May 19, 2013

    He is actually worth 2-5mil at tops his nationality being English adds 10mil to his transfer price; it is the price of buying over rated mediocre players based on the potential that they shall realize their potential. If we spend that kind of money on any keeper it has to be Marc-Andre Ter Stegan.

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