Ex-Liverpool 'keeper Karius set for Premier League return to solve injury crisis

Liverpool flop Loris Karius is reportedly on the verge of signing for Newcastle United to help solve their injury crisis.

The German goalkeeper hasn't been seen in the Premier League since May 2018, the same month as his infamous Champions League final performance, where he made two howlers against Real Madrid. But after being released by the Reds this summer, Karius is now set to join Newcastle on a free transfer.

Having run down his contract on Merseyside last season, Sky Sports claim that the former Mainz stopper, now 29, is already in the north-east city undergoing a medical. The Magpies have moved with haste to sign Karius after second-choice goalkeeper Karl Darlow picked up an ankle injury in training on Wednesday, leaving former Carlisle United, Walsall and Motherwell stopper Mark Gillespie as Nick Pope 's only available senior understudy.

Newcastle loaned out former No.2 Martin Dubravka to Manchester United on transfer deadline day and only have the option to recall him next January. After Darlow's scan revealed that the he'd torn ankle ligaments, Magpies manager Eddie Howe and his recruitment identified Karius as a short-term replacement, with Newcastle needing to register their 25-man squad for the Premier League on Thursday.

The 29-year-old last played first-team football for Union Berlin in the 2020-21 season, making a mere five appearances. That was after spending the previous two campaigns with Besiktas, where he played a 67 games but failed to sufficiently impress in the Turkish capital.

Earlier this year, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Karius had no future at Anfield, with Alisson Becker - who was signed for £66.8million following the aforementioned Champions League nightmare - Caoimhin Kelleher, Adrian and Marcelo Pitaluga ahead of him in the pecking order.

"There are different things [to consider]," Klopp explained in January. "One is Loris Karius the player, who is doing absolutely nothing wrong and he is a really good shape. He is training really hard and he is fully committed. That is clear. Before the season we made a decision and obviously it was in the club's interest as well that Loris finds a new club but that didn't happen.

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"We made a decision that he will be treated completely normally. As long as we don't have a massive situation here our No 1 is Ali, our No.2 is Caoimhin, No.3 is Adrian and No.4 is Marcelo That is already four goalkeepers and we were never in a situation where we had to use a fifth one.

"It is nothing to do with the quality; we made the decision and the boys do really well. I think everyone is impressed by the development of Caoimhin Kelleher, who is ready for pretty much everything. We all know about the quality of Adrian and the impact he has on training and in the dressing room and he would be always ready to go.

"Marcelo is an incredible talent, so the next one in line. I wish Loris only the best and he will find a club whether it is now or in the summer and from there he will go on, I'm very sure."

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