It may have just been half a season since Loris Karius has become Liverpool’s no.1 but his exploits at Kyiv in the UCL final have all but ended his career as the first choice shot-stopper at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp might be tempted to give him some courage and keep him at the club for another season, but he will definitely want to replace him in the first team.
This has seen Liverpool scout for a number of GK’s with AS Roma’s Alisson Becker at the top of their wish list. Jack Butland, Jasper Cillessen and Jan Oblak are also on their radar but one player they look likely to miss out on is Bernd Leno.
A transfer target for Arsenal as well, the German international has just a couple of years left on his current contract at Bayer Leverkusen. And the Bundesliga outfit is now looking to cash in on him this summer, with interests from all over Europe. Liverpool have been long-term admirers of Leno but reports now suggest that the 26-year old prefers a move to Napoli.
Carlo Ancelotti is attracting a number of star players at Napoli and Leno is the latest name. Leno’s move to Italy is said to be close but Liverpool still retain an interest. So is losing Leno a huge blow for the Reds?
Having started his senior football with Stuttgart, Leno joined Leverkusen back in 2011 and has been the first choice for the club ever since, making 30+ appearances in each league season. He also broke into the national side in 2015 but is no longer in Joachim Low’s squad for the World Cup in Russia. But he was in fine form in the domestic league, keeping 12 clean sheets in 49 appearances.
He is an athletic and brave shot-stopper with loads of experience at the highest level. He is at times susceptible from long range screamers but is usually has a safe pair of hands and brings a calm to the back line. He is still 26 but is established as one of the most experienced Gks in Germany and is a definite upgrade on the options Liverpool have. However, he is not exactly one that will solve the issues at Anfield completely.
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The Reds have a backline that is slowly getting better. But they seem to be never far away from a mistake and need a marshalling presence at the back. If they are spending on a Karius replacement, they will want someone who will improve players around him as well. Leno does not really fit the bill and with Liverpool happy to spend big on their new shot-stopper, Oblak and Alisson are more up their league.
But do you think they are missing out on Leno?