The greatest virtue of any great team is their adaptability and the capability to identify their fragility. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Liverpool have been stupendous in the recent past. The 2017-18 season ended disastrously for the Merseyside club as they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, thanks to a couple of horrendous errors by their keeper Loris Karius.
The board and the team reacted quickly by roping in Alisson Becker and winning the Champions League the very next season. In this process, Karius was sent on loan to Beşiktaş, which he has terminated recently due to non-payment of wage. However, Goal states that finally, Liverpool may have found a suitor for the goalkeeper with Hertha Berlin reportedly interested in the German.
The downfall of Karius
The lack of form of Simon Mignolet instigated Klopp to delve into the transfer market and look for a new goalkeeper, and thus the German shot-stopper arrived at Anfield from Mainz 05 in 2016. Initially, he was thought to be a back up for the Belgian, but soon it was understood that there was no first-choice keeper at Liverpool.
In his first season, he played ten league matches for the team. Still, in his second season, the ex-Manchester City youth product made 19 appearances in the league, exactly half the number of total matches, the other half being played by Mignolet.
Although there was some initial promise, Karius’ performances gradually became extremely poor as he seemed completely shaky in front of the goal. The despair and hopelessness in Klopp were evident as he struggled with both his keepers, and this often led to the good deeds of the frontline being undone. If his performances throughout the season were not enough, his display in the final of UCL was the final nail in the coffin, and it was evident that his time with Liverpool was at an end.
His future at Liverpool
Liverpool paid a record fee to bring in Alisson from Roma in the summer of 2018, and since then the Brazilian has stamped his authority under the sticks for the Reds. The roping in of the Brazilian is considered as one of the best transfers for the Merseyside club, and as it seems, he would be keeping his place intact in the team for a long time. At Liverpool, Karius could, at the best-case scenario, be the second choice. But the inclusion of Adrian last summer and his decent showing has poured cold water on those hopes.
Moreover, the Reds are reportedly in the market for another stopper, namely Ugurcan Cakir, who is right now plying his trade in Turkey. Considering all these facts, Hertha Berlin could act as a saviour for the 26-year-old keeper who would have the chance to restart his career and salvage some reputation playing in his own nation.
