Chance for Liverpool? Boss admits 'unreal' €20m star may 'leave', and confirms contract 'talks' are ongoing

Liverpool have been linked with a number of goalkeepers this year, including Inter Milan 'stopper Samir Handanovic, and according to Inter boss Roberto Mancini, there's a strong chance that the Slovenian star will leave Serie A this summer.

In February, the Liverpool Echo claimed that Liverpool are considering a summer move for Handanovic, and when asked about the 30-year old's future this week, Mancini told reporters:

“There are talks and hopefully they’ll find the middle ground over the next few weeks. We’ll see if we’re able to keep him or not. It’s not guaranteed that he’ll leave. I consider him to be one of the best goalkeepers in Europe"

Liverpool reportedly tried to sign Handanovic two years ago, and at the time, Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato claimed:

"Liverpool have offered £12m, but Inter believe that Liverpool [should' make an extra effort to get up very close to the equivalent of €20 million, which could persuade Massimo Moratti to sell"

If Inter don't extend Handanovic's contract soon, they'll face the possibility of losing him on a free, which will undoubtedly alert a lot of top clubs around Europe.

The question is, with Mignolet rediscovering his form, do Liverpool still need a new goalkeeper? In my view, the answer is categorically, and unequivocally, YES.

Mignolet had his chance, and in the grand scheme of things, a brief spell of good form means very little. The Belgian is basically playing for his future right now, so it's no surprise that his form has impv

If Rodgers is lulled into a false sense of security and fails to act yet again (like last summer), then he'll deserve all the criticism that will inevitably come his way if/when Mignolet reverts to type.

The same applies to Lucas; he's playing well at the moment, but the club cannot rest on its laurels. These players need to be replaced, or - at the very least - challenged in the squad, and if Liverpool are to consistently challenge for the title, then continuous improvement is the name of the game.

This used to be a common feature amongst the classic Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s; Paisley et al never took anything for granted, and each year, the club would bring in great new players to challenge the stars who'd been integral to winning titles, even though it looked like they weren't needed.

Is Handanovic - nicknamed 'The Saint' in Italy - an improvement on Mignolet? Stats:

Handanovic

* 142 goals conceded in 122 games (1.1 per game)

* 43 clean sheets (35% of games. One every 2.8 games)

* Averages 2.4 saves per game.

Mignolet

* 106 goals conceded 92 games (1.1 per game)

* 28 clean sheets (31% of games. One every 3.2 games)

* Averages 2.7 saves per game.

Clean sheets aside, there's little between Mignolet and Handanovic right now, and the deciding factor may be the unquantifiable aspects of a goalkeeper's quality, such as leadership, communication, command of the box, and distribution.

Former Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo is a big fan of Handanovic, and in January, he raved:

“Handanovic is unreal. He’s carrying the team with his great saves. He should be given more acclaim. He really excels and it’s difficult for him, because the defence suffers at times, but he’s always ready.”

A viable replacement for Mignolet?

Author: Jaimie K