Liverpool goalkeeper coach John Achterberg hopes for Loris Karius solution ‘this month’
According to The Athletic (h/t Liverpool Echo), Liverpool’s goalkeeper coach John Achterberg hopes Loris Karius will be able to find a new club in January.
The German keeper is out of contract with the Reds in the summer and is very likely to depart the club given his lack of playing time. Although he was Liverpool’s No.1 for a brief time, Karius has now fallen down the pecking order behind Alisson, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Adrian in the squad.
Achterberg is hopeful of Karius finding a club soon and getting back to playing regular first-team football.
“In the end it’s down to him, his agent and the club to try to find a solution. Hopefully, there will be one this month.”
The 28-year-old has not played for Liverpool since the infamous 2017-18 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid after Karius was at fault for a couple of goals that led to Liverpool losing the plot when it mattered most.
The keeper has been linked with a return to Union Berlin in his native Germany during this January window. Karius spent the entire 2020-21 season on loan at the Bundesliga club, helping them to finish seventh in the league.
Achterberg sympathised with Karius’ situation at Liverpool but believed he can use his qualities to build a career elsewhere.
“It doesn’t help anyone to sit for another six months without the feeling that you are really fighting for something. That’s not going to improve him. He needs to use his quality to make a career now. Loris has a lot of good qualities.”
Karius had a good start to life at Anfield, being selected as Liverpool’s first-choice keeper ahead of previous regular Simon Mignolet. However, consistent mistakes in big games for us led to Klopp making the decision to drop him and relegate him to the bench.
After his disastrous performance in the 2017-18 Champions League final which saw us lose 3-1 to Real Madrid, we have not seen much of the German keeper, as Klopp moved to sign Alisson from AS Roma. With Alisson firmly established as our No.1, Karius no longer seems to have a career with us and is likely to leave the club after his contract runs out in the summer.
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Karius has been on loan to Besiktas and Union Berlin in his last few years but failed to make much of an impact in either spell. At 28, he still has years left in him and it is better served elsewhere than remaining as the forgotten man at Anfield.
Liverpool will also be looking to ship him off in this January window for a fee, rather than lose him for free in the summer.
