Simon Mignolet to leave Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp 'looking to replace goalkeeper', says Bruce Grobbelaar

Grobbelaar has been told to stop criticising the Liverpool No 1, but he revealed that Klopp is already looking at potential replacements from Germany

Simon Mignolet and Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)

Jürgen Klopp wants to replace Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet just a day after the Reds’ stopper praised the impact of the German head coach, according to former Anfield star Bruce Grobbelaar.

Mignolet revelled in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over Manchester City at the weekend, and admitted that Klopp’s implementation of a feel-good factor in the squad plus his tactical switch to a high-pressing game is behind the season-boosting result.

The Belgium international pulled off a wonderful save to deny Sergio Aguero when James Milner had given the ball away needlessly to Raheem Sterling, and according to former Liverpool goalkeeper Grobbelaar, the club have told him to stop publicly criticising the 27-year-old.

However, the 58-year-old former Zimbabwe international, who spent 13 years with Liverpool between 1981 and 1994, explained that he understands Klopp is already searching for a replacement from the Bundesliga.

“I’ve had my criticism of him for two or three years, I even got pulled in and asked not to criticise him so openly,” Grobbelaar, who is currently coaching Newfoundland in Canada, told Talksport.

“I’ve said that he is a goalkeeper who is a great shotstopper, but he is not the overall package. The overall package is good with your feet and coming out and commanding your area.

“I’ve got a goalkeeper in Canada, a 24-year-old, who does this better than Mignolet does and is just as good of a shotstopper. He is more of a package than Mignolet is.”

When probed over Mignolet’s future, Grobbelaar added: “I think he is looking at it [buying a replacement for Mignolet]. There are a couple of goalkeepers in the German league that he is looking at so I can see that might be one of his first signings.”

Mignolet was dropped from Liverpool’s first-team by Klopp’s predecessor Brendan Rodgers in his maiden season at Anfield following his 2013 move from Sunderland, but he has improved his form and cut out the frequent errors that crept into his game to stamp his place on the No 1 shirt on Merseyside, with summer signing Adam Bogdan unable to force his way into the side.