Cillessen Responds to Liverpool and Arsenal Transfer Rumours

The Barca backup tried to walk a line between respecting his current club and admitting he’d like to be playing more football.

Whether Liverpool are set to bring in a new number one goalkeeper or not, with at least Simon Mignolet set to depart the club this summer there’s little doubt at least one new signing will be made at the position either to replace or compete with Loris Karius.

One name that’s been mentioned frequently since the end of the season is Barcelona backup and Netherlands international Jasper Cillessen, who joined the Spanish side two years ago hoping to compete for the top job there but has found himself frozen out.

“I think that I played well in the matches I had in the Copa del Rey,” Cillessen told Fox Sports Netherlands when asked about his situation at Barcelona and the rumours linking him with a move to England with first Liverpool and now Arsenal as well potential destinations.

“I need to wait patiently,” he continued. “The only thing I know is Barcelona don’t want to sell me. Arsenal and Liverpool aren’t bad clubs but if Barcelona say, ‘We love you,’ I have to accept their decision. I’ll wait until we return on July 16 to see what they’ve decided.”

It seems a clear attempt to be diplomatic—but it’s also been clear for some time that Cillessen isn’t in an ideal situation at Barcelona, now 29 years of age having spent two of what should be his prime seasons as a player stuck behind Marc Andre ter Stegen.

Cillessen may not be at the level of the likes of Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Roma’s Alisson, the two potential big name signings at the position Liverpool have been linked with this summer, but he is very much better than being stuck as a backup—at any club.

And despite his diplomatic words, the general consensus is he does want out—and that if some club are willing to offer €30M, that Barcelona would be willing to let him go. The real question now is if anyone—or maybe just Liverpool or Arsenal—are willing to pay that.

“I don’t know anything,” he added. “If the club wants to keep me, I’ll accept that. I signed a five-year deal with them.”

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com