It's no secret that Liverpool are in desperate need of a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window. The Reds' current first choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet hasn't had the best of campaigns so far.
After some unconvincing displays from the Belgian stopper, and his short-term replacement Brad Jones suffering an injury set-back, the goalkeeping position is certainly an area the Merseyside club must improve on. The Belgium international was dropped 'indefinitely' by Brendan Rodgers in mid-December, but has found himself back between the sticks sooner than he would have anticipated, due to Jones' unfortunate injury.
It's set to be an uneventful January for Liverpool, but they will be expected to sign a goalkeeper before the window slams shut on February 2nd. We take a look at five stoppers who the Reds could bring to the Premier League to challenge Mignolet and Jones for the number one spot:
Asmir Begovic
The Stoke City stopper has been a tremendous servant for the Potters since arriving in 2010. Begovic has been heavily linked with Liverpool for quite some time now, and he has already admitted having ambitions of playing at the highest level.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has been one of the Premier League's standout goalkeepers over the last couple of seasons, and because of his form, he has been linked with a move away from the Britannia Stadium recently. Hughes will not want to lose his keeper, and is sure to do everything in his power to keep him - but the 27-year-old would undoubtedly be an excellent acquisition for Rodgers' Reds and a step in the right direction for the Anfield club.
Kiko Casilla
Espanyol's Casilla was linked with an £8m move to Anfield earlier in the season but has also attracted interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid. The 28-year-old has been an exceptional performer in La Liga this term, and would unquestionably be a suitable replacement for the error-prone Mignolet.
Casilla made his first appearance for Spain in a 1-0 friendly defeat to World Champions Germany in November, and has been tipped to provide stiff competition to David de Gea when Iker Casillas hangs up his gloves in the not so distant future. News seems to have gone quiet on Casilla's potential move to Anfield, but at the small price of £8m for an international goalkeeper, Liverpool should surely take the punt on his signature.
Petr Cech
Chelsea's dominant stopper Petr Cech would be a real coup for Brendan Rodgers' side. The 32-year-old, who has played second fiddle to the outstanding Thibaut Courtois this season, was back in goal for the Blues' 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Czech Republic international was brilliant in the victory, which underlines Jose Mourinho's strength in depth in that area. The table-toppers have recently let Mark Schwarzer move to Leicester City which obviously would make it more difficult for Liverpool to prize Cech away from west London. But the Chelsea stalwart is only 32 and has undoubted ability – Cech deserves to be playing regular first-team football.
Guillermo Ochoa
Liverpool allegedly agreed a £3m deal in mid-December to bring Ochoa in from Malaga in the January Transfer Window - but there has been no sign of the deal being finalised just yet. The 29-year-old would be a real steel for the Reds at £3m, and his eccentric style would be a credit to the Premier League.
The South American was outstanding for Mexico in the 2014 World Cup,and made a real name for himself in Brazil. It has been reported that Ochoa's Malaga future is set to be decided within the next few days, and don't be too surprised if he turns up on Merseyside very soon.
Brad Guzan
If it wasn't for Brad Guzan in the Aston Villa net this term, it's anyone's guess where Paul Lambert's side would be in the league table at present. Villa have only scored 11 goals in 21 Premier League games this season, but they sit 13th in the league table, with Guzan's superb seven clean sheets keeping the Villans respectable.
Despite eventually losing 1-0 at Leicester City on Saturday, Guzan made some world-class saves to keep the score down at the King Power Stadium. The last thing Aston Villa need to do is sell their top-class keeper, but the American would be a sensational signing for Liverpool this January.