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The memory of Loris Karius' performance in the UEFA Champions League final is one that will stay with Liverpool fans for a while. The young German had prior to this point been showing steady signs of improvement since Jurgen Klopp announced him as number one ahead of Belgian Simon Mignolet.
While the Champions League final was horrendous in itself, at no point during the season had it looked like Karius or even Simon Mignolet were capable of being the goalkeepers the Reds need. Given the team's gegenpressing style of play, gaps will always appear at the back, as such, the team would need a goalie who was quick off his line, a good passer of the ball and alert at all times.
These are qualities that both of the Reds' current goalies have not shown consistently and if Liverpool and Klopp truly want to mount a sustained challenge for the big trophies, a top-class goalie is a necessity.
Here are 5 targets that have already been linked with a move to Anfield:
#5 Jack Butland (Stoke City)
The argument over who should be England’s number one goalie at the World Cup is one that has been raging for a while and given the options available (though Jordan Pickford seems to have gotten the nod). However, despite featuring in a relegated side, Butland has stood out and would give Gareth Southgate a selection headache.
Renowned for his excellent reflexes especially in one-on-one and aerial situations, the former Birmingham trainee has shone consistently in a team that struggled defensively all through last season.
Like most English goalkeepers, Butland is not the best at passing the ball out or initiating attacks like most foreign modern goalkeepers. However, he excels in the traditional English goalie traits, bravery, aerial ability, shot stopping and organizing his backline.
The Bristol-born goalie is capable of stepping into Liverpool and making a difference as his reflexes, agility, and ability to organize his backline would be of great help. Given Stoke's relegated status, it is unclear just how much Klopp and transfer supremo Michael Edwards would need to pay for his services but £40m (English premium) might just do the trick.
#4 Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen)
It seems a foregone conclusion that the German international has played his last game for the team (Lukas Hradecky has already joined from Eintracht Frankfurt) and it is only a matter of time until a club comes in and meets Leverkusen's financial demands.
While the 26-year-old may be feeling blue due to being dropped from Germany's World Cup squad, it is by no means an indictment of his talent as Die Mannschaft manager Joachim Low has the luxury of calling on some of the best goalkeeping talents in world football (Manuel Neuer and Marc Andre ter-Stegen).
At 1.9m, Leno keeps in tradition with the German style of producing tall goalies and is more than capable of producing the goods for Liverpool. Quick of his line, he is agile and capable of making breathtaking saves (and a few clangers but nothing on the Mignolet/Karius scale).
Having been number one in a Die Werkself side that plays a similar pressing style to Liverpool's, Leno will slot right in as Number one and his leadership and authoritative style would help in further solidifying a defence that has gotten better since the world-record (for a defender) arrival of Virgil Van Dijk.
#3 Gigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
The golden boy of goalkeeping in Italian football and the Azzurri's numero uno for the foreseeable future, a lot is being expected of this gentle giant who is more than capable of becoming a goalkeeping mainstay for the next 15 years.
Agile, fast off his feet with a good command of his penalty area and the ability to make superlative saves look routine, “Gigio” definitely looks to be headed to the top of world football and his signing would be a coup of monumental proportions for Klopp's team.
In Donnarumma, the Reds will be getting a youngster (he turns 20 next year) who while already very good has the ability to become the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the Anfield giants eclipsing even legends like Bruce Grobbelaar, Pepe Reina or even Tommy Lawrence.
The love-hate relationship with the Milan faithful and the club's financial woes make a deal for the youngster a real possibility that Klopp and the Liverpool board would be remiss not to take
He will definitely not come cheap as reports have it that he will cost about £60m (a world record for a goalie) but given his youth and potential, it will be seen as a bargain in the next couple of decades
#2 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
One of the premier goalkeepers on the world (the best statistically) and one who would walk into the first team of any club on the face of the planet, Oblak is one goalie whose future will continue to attract the most scrutiny.
Atleti struck gold when they got the tall Slovenian international to switch to the Spanish capital from Portuguese Primera Liga giants Benfica in 2014 for what now seems a bargain fee of €16 million. Potential suitors would have to pay 7 times that amount to get him now.
Great shot stopper, excellent commander of the defence line and able to initiate counter attacks with his long kicks and throws, Oblak's presence will take Liverpool's defending several notches higher than it currently is.
His agility would increase the Red's attacking impetus as the midfielders would be encouraged to push up more given the trust they have in his abilities. His confidence, calmness and soft-spoken command of the defence would give the team a solidity it has not had since the days of Pepe Reina.
Diego Simeone would be loath to lose such an important member of his team but given the fact that La Liga insists on buyout clauses for all players in the league, El Cholo would be powerless to stop a move to Anfield if the Reds can come to an arrangement with Oblak.
#1 Alisson Becker (AS Roma)
The strongest rumours and stories making the rounds all point to the 25-year-old Brazilian international being the one that Klopp wants and it is easy to understand why.
Alisson's star has really come to the fore in the last two years as he has undoubtedly been one of the best goalkeepers in world football. The fact that he is keeping Manchester City's very excellent Ederson out of the Brazilian team is just one indicator of his quality.
A vocal leader of men, the Novo Hamburgo-born player commands his area in the style of the goalkeeping greats, something that would be of great benefit for Liverpool's skittish defenders i.e. Dejan Lovren, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ragnar Klavan among others.
He has a finely tuned nose for sniffing out danger and would be the ideal man to play in goal in Klopp's preferred gegenpressing style, allowing the central midfielders and fullbacks to push forward and join the attack.
He has amazing reflexes, is excellent in one-on-one situations and would be an attacking asset with his brilliant passing range (long and short) from defence. AS Roma are not expected to let him go for as cheap as they sold Mohamed Salah (reports are quoting a new goalkeeping world-record fee of £79m).
With Liverpool's UEFA Champions League final conquerors, Real Madrid also said to be interested in the Brazilian's signature, the Reds would have to bite the bullet and get the deal done sooner rather than later.
