Reported Liverpool Target Alisson Is 'Messi of Goalkeepers' and Worth over £45M

A former AS Roma goalkeeping coach has called Giallorossi stopper and reported Liverpool transfer target Alisson Becker the "Lionel Messi of goalkeepers" and believes he's worth far more than the £45 million it will likely cost to land him. 

Speaking to Il Romanista (h/t Daily Mirror's Alex Richards), Roberto Negrisolo was full of praise for the 25-year-old:

"Is Alisson worth €50 million (£45 million)? Don't be silly, he's worth far more than that.

"I don't think many people have realised who Alisson is. This guy is a phenomenon. He is the No. 1 of No. 1s. He is the Messi of goalkeepers, because he has the same mentality as Messi. He is a goalkeeper who can mark an era.

"There is absolutely no comparison with Gianluigi Donnarumma, because Alisson is extraordinary."

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The Brazil international―who is starting ahead of Manchester City star Ederson with the national team―replaced Wojciech Szczesny in the Roma goal this season following the Poland international's departure for Juventus.

He's done nothing but impress since then, leading to plenty of transfer speculation. Liverpool have frequently been mentioned as suitors, while the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked, per Richards.

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Roma sporting director Monchi maintains no club made an offer in January, but the Serie A side face a real battle to keep hold of their star man in the summer.

While the team's financial fair play issues appear to be in the past, they still have a reputation as a selling club―highlighted by the fact they hired transfer guru Monchi.

Alisson's complete skill set has been on full display this season, and he's saved points for Roma on plenty of occasions. Known for his reflexes and good command of his area, he also stands out for his tremendous distribution and doesn't look out of place in challenges like this:

Not everyone is a fan, however, including BBC's Mark Lawrenson, per HITC:

His fine form and tremendous upside could price Liverpool out of the market, especially if Real decide they need an upgrade on Keylor Navas. PSG are almost certain to add a goalkeeper in the summer, with Alphonse Areola struggling, and are never afraid to throw their financial weight around to get their man.

If both those clubs and Liverpool get involved in a bidding war, it's hard to see Roma keeping hold of their star goalkeeper―especially given the fact he's only been a regular starter for half a season, and the Giallorossi had no issues replacing Szczesny when he left.