Loris Karius: Where next for Liverpool’s lost goalkeeper?
By Liam Thomas
News broke this week after Liverpool’s blockbuster January transfer signing of Luis Diaz was secured, that one player on the fringe of Jurgen Klopp’s side would have to be sacrificed to make way for the Columbian superstar.
This is because when Liverpool registered their Premier League squad before the season started they were already at their limit of players (17) who were not homegrown talents.
For that reason, the unfortunate tale of Liverpool’s lost goalkeeper Loris Karius finally looks to be coming to an end.
The German goalkeeper hasn’t featured in Klopp’s first XI since his disastrous 2018 Champions League Final appearance that saw him make not one, but two howlers against La Liga giants Real Madrid which ultimately cost Liverpool the game.
You can’t help but feel sorry for Karius, who suffered an abundance of abuse after his fatal Kyiv nightmare, and hopefully, as a free agent, he’ll be able to find a solid home and rediscover the form that saw him become Liverpool’s number one during the 2017/18 campaign.
But where next for the shot-stopper? Potentially a move back to his native Germany would help settle the 28-year-old; whether that was in the Bundesliga or the competitive second division the 2. Bundesliga.
Karius enjoyed a loan stint at Union Berlin in the 20/21 season and despite not getting the game time he craved, he showed glimpses of his former self during his time in the German capital.
It seems any move to a Premier League club would be off the cards, due to the amount of scrutiny he would sooner or later face, however, many Liverpool fans would argue that Karius would make a solid second-choice goalkeeper at any top-flight English side that was willing to take a punt on him.
Additionally, the fact Karius can be secured on a free transfer in the summer is an even more enticing prospect to any club who needs a solid backup or are currently suffering from their own goalkeeping woes.
It’ll be interesting to see where Karius’ next footballing adventure will take him but we hope the German finds some game time moving forward and a fanbase and team he can reignite his love for the game at.