Former Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius recently stated that he was ready to return to Anfield after his two-year loan stint at Turkish giants Besiktas and claimed that he would fight for the first-team spot with Brazilian international Alisson Becker.
His statement was given rather a mixed reception by the Reds faithful, who still holds the German shot-stopper accountable for his horrific performance in the finals of the 2018 UEFA Champions League, which Liverpool lost 3-1 to Real Madrid.
In the final, Karius was deemed responsible for two of the three goals scored by Real Madrid, with the keeper’s throw being blocked by Karim Benzema and getting deflected into the goal, and with Karius’s horrible misjudgment of Gareth Bale’s long-range shot.
Following the match, Reds skipper Jordan Henderson defended Karius against all criticism, with the English international stating that the onus of the loss fell upon the entire Liverpool FC side and not just the German goalkeeper. However, the damage to Karius’s near future in a Reds shirt was all but done. Karius received death threats online after the match which the Merseyside police had to investigate and put a stop to.
However, the nail in the coffin for Karius’s future as the Liverpool FC first-choice keeper happened when the Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp sanctioned the £56 million signings of Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker from Italian side AS Roma.
The fee paid by the Reds was a world-record transfer for a goalkeeper at that time. Alisson had a reputation of being a brilliant shot-stopper with a wonderful ability on the ball and possessed a long-range of throws to start a counterattack. His abilities suited the style of play followed by Liverpool FC under Klopp and there had been much clamour between the Reds supporters to sign a new world-class goalkeeper following the disastrous sequence of events that took place in the 2018 Champions League final.
Alisson’s signing meant that the Brazilian would start the 2019-19 season in goal for the Reds. With Belgian Simon Mignolet ready to serve as a backup to the new signing Alisson, Karius’s future at Reds seemed over. However, Jurgen Klopp decided against permanently selling the player who had put in some great performances in the Reds shirt before the events of the 2018 Champions League final.
Soon after Alisson made his Liverpool FC debut, Karius was shipped out on loan to Turkish side Beşiktaş on a two year spell. The German goalkeeper did manage to rediscover his form while at Beşiktaş and had a tremendous first season. However, in the second season, contractual issues prevented Karius from making the same kind of impact he had during his first year at the Turkish side. He sued the Beşiktaş management for not paying him four months’ worth wages and soon terminated his contract with them.
Karius’s return to Anfield would be amid rumours that the Reds current backup goalkeeper Adrian, who signed last summer on a free transfer from West Ham United FC, could be moving to Spain with the number of La Liga sides interested in signing the Spaniard.
Adrian had a good season for the Reds, helping them win the UEFA Super Cup through his heroics in the penalty shootout, and filled in for the injured Alisson on several occasions. However, he too had a horrible showing against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 fixture and was deemed responsible for the loss suffered by the Reds.
With Karius about to turn 27, the goalkeeper certainly is young enough to re-establish himself as an important figure in the Reds squad and serve as a trustworthy backup to Alisson Becker. The injuries suffered by Liverpool FC’s star goalkeeper this season has shown that there is a need for a more composed figure as the Reds goalkeeper when compared to Adrian, who on a few occasions, has shown moments of nervousness when closed down by opposition attackers.
Moreover, with the Reds determined to add many more trophies to their collection, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup would be considered equally important for Jurgen Klopp come next season. Karius would certainly feature in Liverpool FC’s cup ties and would be an important part of Klopp’s squad rotation plans.
Despite the Reds faithful always bearing a feeling of scepticism about him, Karius has shown his worth as a good shot-stopper on many occasions for Liverpool FC. Klopp certainly trusts the German goalkeeper and would be more than keen to give ample opportunities to Karius to regain his trust as the Red’s man between the goal and be remembered for much more memorable moments in a Reds shirt rather than his 2018 UEFA Champions League final performance.
