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A strong second half of the season, in which he saved Liverpool at least a handful of points, should see Simon Mignolet through the summer as the club's starting goalkeeper. He's still got parts of his game to round out, but steady improvements were on offer since being restored to the starting eleven back in December, and if those continue he'll have an excellent chance to continue as the number one.
Liverpool need to add a goalkeeper this summer regardless of Mignolet's standing, though, and depending on who's available, the Belgian could find himself in for the type of fight Brad Jones simply couldn't provide. Jones was, by all accounts, an excellent teammate and professional, but in terms of ability the Australian was never quite up to standard. His promotion to the starting spot was more about sending Mignolet a message than it was a move based on quality, and his departure this summer creates an opening for another goalkeeper to come in.
Thus far there haven't been any concrete links to emerge, with Timo Horn and Rui Patricio mentioned in isolation with little follow-up. Keylor Navas will likely join their ranks; the Costa Rican international, who was one of the stars of last summer's World Cup, is rumored to be on the outs at Real Madrid, where he moved last summer in hopes of displacing Iker Casillas and establishing himself as the number one at the Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti stuck with Casillas for most of the season, leaving Navas with only six appearances in total. The 28-year-old had a good record when he did feature, losing just once--a 2-0 loss to Atletico in the Copa del Rey--and conceding only three goals while making eleven saves. Small sample size, but respectable numbers and, heading into next season, possibly a foundation to become the new starter.
Chances of that happening are slim, however, as David De Gea is widely expected to make the move to Real Madrid this summer, once again relegating Navas to the number two spot. He's made noises about staying and fighting for his place, but talk of an exit has gathered, and with Liverpool in need of someone to challenge Mignolet, it's a connect-the-dots rumor.
Not to say that it wouldn't happen, of course. Navas is a talented goalkeeper and one that would have been starting most places outside of Real Madrid last season, and would be the favorite next season were it not for De Gea. At his age he's going to expect minutes, and those could be found at Liverpool if Brendan Rodgers still feels that a longer-lasting change is necessary.
