Jiri Pavlenka joined Werder Bremen last summer to replace Felix Wiedwald and it didn’t go down universally well at the time.
Wiedwald was rated by some of the media surrounding the German club and it felt an unnecessary risk. Pushed out at Bremen, Wiedwald moved to Leeds United and tried to make it in English football.
Pavlenka started shakily, making some mistakes in preseason and inviting doubt. Wiedwald looked like he was settling in at Elland Road and there were questions in the German media over whether selling him to Leeds United had been a mistake.
Then everything changed, and as Pavlenka started to do impressively well for Bremen, Wiedwald stuttered at Leeds and found himself out of the team.
This now leeds to the situation which sees Pavlenka being linked with Liverpool the same week Wiedwald has left Leeds to join Eintracht Frankfurt as their second choice.
There’s no more added than that, and Pavlenka joins the list of Bundesliga stoppers linked with Liverpool. But this could be a surprising, and potentially inspired, choice.
If the 26 year old Czech can continue his progress then he’d be a good signing, which is likely what Jurgen Klopp and his scouts are thinking. Werder Bremen won’t want to sell, but given they only paid Slavia Prague €3m a year ago there’s potential for a big profit.
Jiri Pavlenka was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga last season.
