Mark Travers could leave Bournemouth this summer.
But the Premier League club are seeking a staggering £10m for his signature, which could scare off suitors such as Celtic and Crystal Palace.
Travers has played in four of the Cherries’ last five games of the season, keeping clean sheets in wins over Brighton and Wolves.
But if that raised hopes of him becoming the first man next season, then their hopes have been dashed.
Head coach Andoni Iraola is looking to bring in a goalkeeper and is willing to let the Ireland international leave for the right price to make room for new arrivals.
Brendan Rodgers needs a new first-choice goalkeeper following the retirement of former England star Joe Hart.
Rodgers is a fan of Travers’ international rival Coim Kelleher, who has made no secret that his future is likely to be away from Liverpool, where he has been unable to dislodge Alisson.
But the Cork man’s transfer fee is expected to be in excess of £15m, with Travers seen as a more affordable and realistic option.
However, unless Bournemouth are willing to lower their valuation, an eight-figure sum could also put Travers out of their reach.
club career
Sam Johnstone and Dean Henderson shared Palace’s goalkeeping duties almost equally last season, with Oliver Glasner taking over in February keen to bring freshness to the position.
But the London club may also refuse to pay the fee for a player with relatively limited top-flight experience.
Travers joined Bournemouth from Shamrock Rovers in July 2016 and moved to Weymouth on loan the following year, getting his first taste of senior football and scoring on his debut.
He made his Premier League debut in May 2019, becoming the first teenage goalkeeper to start in the Premier League since Hart in 2006.
But it wasn’t until winning the title in 2021-22 that he established himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
He started four Premier League games the following season but was sacked after a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool, followed by Scott Parker’s dismissal.
He played a further eight league games before the end of the season, but played a minor role under Neto and was loaned to Stoke City last August.
It was supposed to be a matter of the entire season and he made a good impression before being recalled by Bournemouth in Neto’s absence.
But his only first-team appearance until April came in the FA Cup and he was unavailable for the Carabao Cup as he had already played against Stoke City.
Travers knows he needs to play regularly to have any chance of establishing himself as Ireland’s number one, having made just four appearances for the team since making his debut against New Zealand in September 2019.
