Former Arsenal employee gets involved as Liverpool flop’s options narrow
The future of Loris Karius has been plunged into further doubt after Union Berlin decided against keeping the Liverpool man, according to reports in Germany.
Karius failed to reach the required standard at Liverpool after joining them in 2016. His errors were costly when they lost the 2018 Champions League final to Real Madrid. He has not played for the club since and has been on loan at Besiktas for two seasons and now Union Berlin.
Things haven’t quite gone to plan for him back in Germany this season. He has only made three starts in the Bundesliga. Therefore, according to Kicker, Union Berlin will not sign him permanently.
That will leave Liverpool trying to find another solution for a player whose contract expires in 2022.
But the answer may not be far away. Kicker add that Stuttgart are now showing an interest in signing Karius.
The Bundesliga club previously had Karius in their academy before he moved to Manchester City’s youth setup in 2009. He never made a senior appearance for either of those sides.
But now that could change, as Stuttgart are expecting to lose their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. They have identified Karius as a potential replacement.
Negotiations would be overseen by Stuttgart’s sporting director Sven Mislintat, who used to work for Arsenal. He has added Karius to his shortlist of options to reinforce between the sticks.
Karius could be a cheap option for them as Liverpool are under pressure to sell. The Premier League side know they won’t be able to get a huge fee for the 27-year-old so could sanction a cut-price deal.
Another option that has been mentioned in the past for Karius would be to join Bayern Munich. That would raise some eyebrows but he would only be going as a backup. However, that deal still seems unlikely.
Therefore, Stuttgart may have a better chance at getting their man if they firm up their interest in the former Mainz star.
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Liverpool given transfer threat
If Liverpool sell Karius to Stuttgart, it may not be the only piece of business they do with a Bundesliga club this summer.
They have been heavily linked with making a bid for RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate. After Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all suffered injuries this season, it exposed a lack of depth in their backline.
Hence, they are keen to sign Konate to add further quality in that department. But despite there being confidence about the deal, they have now been issued a warning about their pursuit by his current club.
READ MORE: Liverpool plan ripped up, as make-or-break defender transfer threat arrives
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