Having barely enjoyed the FA Cup trophy at the end of the 17/18 campaign, established and esteemed Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois shocked the Stamford Bridge faithful by forcing a move through to Spanish giants Real Madrid, leaving an alarming chasm between the sticks.
Irrevocably severing his tether to Chelsea and the endearment of the fanbase, signing for Los Blancos for £35m after seven years on the Blues’ books, the Belgian ace’s acrimonious departure warranted a first-rate replacement, and the club’s hierarchy swiftly scoured the market for the optimum acquisition.
Before the commencement of the 18/19 Premier League campaign, the west London outfit would announce the world-record goalkeeper signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined from La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao for £72m.
It all could have been so different; Sky in Italy reported that Liverpool had been pursuing a deal for Roma goalkeeper Alisson, but had been priced out of a move, paving the way for the affluent Chelsea to swoop in and secure the Brazilian titan for a reported £62m.
Liverpool would return, to the surprise of observers, and complete the £67m signing of Alisson, spelling an end to Chelsea’s interest, breaking the world-record fee for a shot-stopper before the Blues would indeed break it for the Spanish Kepa just one month later.
Did Chelsea blunder on Alisson?
It’s fair to say that the respective colossus’ have had contrasting fortunes since their arrivals in England, with Alisson cementing his stature as one of Europe’s finest of his position, while Kepa has endured a tumultuous journey; not without its success, but not without its considerable hardships.
The polarity in fortunes for the gems is perhaps best encapsulated by CIES Football Observatory’s respective current values: Alisson still boasts a value of £71m that holds with the fee Liverpool paid, but the 11-cap Spaniard now yields a price to his name of just £13m, which is startling in its entirety.
Had the Blues completed the signing of Alisson, who cost less than Kepa, they could have instated an unwavering and iron-clad figure to dominate from the defensive third, providing steely resistance and instilling leadership across the pitch.
Having made 216 appearances, keeping an impressive 98 clean sheets, the 30-year-old South American has been instrumental in the craft of Liverpool’s current outfit, and despite the current seasonal woes, has basked in the glory of clinching the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Club World Cup during his stay, now nearly five years on Merseyside.
The 61-cap star has also won the 18/19 Copa America with Brazil during this period, and his elite, winning mentality, would have paid dividends for the Stamford Bridge-based side.
Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Matt Kim, Alisson has proved time and time again that he is a world-class star, evidenced by his stellar performances despite Liverpool’s loss of potency and fluidity this season.
And had Alisson, dubbed “the best in the world” by Reds team-mate Andy Robertson, donned Chelsea blue in 2018, the footballing script that has dictated the past several years could very well have been rewritten.
Instead of the underperforming and devalued Kepa, the Blues could have had one of the ‘best’ shot-stoppers on the globe, which is why they fumbled badly with the Brazilian in 2018.