Liverpool reject £15m transfer offer from Nottingham Forest for Caoimhin Kelleher forcing club to turn to Matz Sels

LIVERPOOL have rejected Nottingham Forest’s £15million bid for back-up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Forest have been in the market for a stopper and have made several late deadline day moves.

AFP

Liverpool rejected Nottingham Forest’s £15m bid for Caoimhin Kelleher[/caption]

It included a £15million offer to Liverpool for Kelleher, who is back up to No1 Alisson Becker.

But according to the Daily Mail, the Reds have no intention of selling the understudy and rebuffed Forest’s approach.

Nuno Espirito Santo – a former keeper himself – has instead turned to Strasbourg’s Matz Sels with a medical now set to follow.

Kelleher, who came through Liverpool’s academy, has made 12 appearances this season.

But only two have come in the Prem, with the other ten divided equally between the Carabao Cup and Europa League.

With Liverpool chasing a quadruple this season they feel the need to keep Kelleher in the squad and rate him at £20m.

So after their approach for the Ireland international was rejected, Forest struck a deal for former Newcastle keeper Sels.

A bid of £5.5m was launched for the Belgian, who spent two years at St James’ Park from 2016-2018.

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Sels was never a Toon first-teamer but made nine appearances for them in the Championship.

He also played three times in the FA Cup and two times in the League Cup.

While Sels spent his time in England as a backup, he has become a first-team regular at Strasbourg, playing 19 times in Ligue 1 this season.

The keeper, 31, is set to provide competition to Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos, both of which have struggled at times this season.

Nuno also looked at England pair Jack Butland of Rangers and Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone.