Liverpool’s $78m signing could be on the verge of breaking the world transfer record for the latest honour, highlighting his value to Jürgen Klopp in the process.

It’s a hard life being a goalkeeper. Often overlooked, their actions go unnoticed until a flaw seeps into which is then added to and starkly juxtaposed by all their positive moments. But in reality, goalkeepers are perhaps the most valuable asset to any team. Liverpool will know this all too well. Jürgen Klopp will know this all too well.

During the early part of his reign, Klopp’s team struggled, not only because he was busy piecing together his winning formula, but also because he had failed to find the right goalkeeper for his system.

Klopp experimented with different options, and then fueled by a defeat in Kiev to Real Madrid over a pair of Loris Karius mistakes, Liverpool decided to make Alisson Becker the most expensive goalkeeper of all time with a deal worth $ 78 million (£65). million / 75 million euros).

That figure was later surpassed by Chelsea to get Kepa Arrizabalaga in the same transfer window, but it hasn’t taken away from the enormous value the Brazilian has brought to Liverpool in the years since that transfer.

Alisson has been a stable backbone of the Reds. Rarely prone to error were it not for his heroics this season, and in all seasons before, Liverpool would be far worse off. Not to mention the dramatic winner against West Bromwich Albion which gave Liverpool the boost they needed to qualify for the Champions League in the 2020/21 season.

But despite Alisson’s prominence and quality, he often seems underappreciated in circles outside of Liverpool. His rare mistakes become social media highlights and he never seems to get the recognition he deserves. For example, he hasn’t made the FIFPRO World XI in the last three years, although his last three years have probably been one of his best years in a Liverpool shirt. Even in England, he is often denied recognition. He has now played five seasons in the Premier League, but has only made the PFA Team of the Season once (in the 2021/22 season), despite winning in the 2018/19 and 2018 seasons /19. season selected the 19 cleanest sheets.

It was therefore somewhat surprising that Alisson was called up by the Premier League in February (according to Liverpool’s official website) for his heroism in knocking out Miguel Almirón in a close one-on-one against Newcastle United. He was nominated alongside Kepa and his save is subjectively the best of all, meaning he has a good chance of beating the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.

This moment is just one of many moments this season when Alisson could have been nominated for the same award. He’s been invaluable to the Reds for years and his value to Klopp can be seen in saves and moments like this.