Loris Karius claims Jurgen Klopp tried to convince him to stay at Liverpool

Patrick McCarry

LK1 is now looking forward to flying like an eagle.

Loris Karius’ thoughts will now turn to helping Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig and reaching the latter stages of the Europa League.

The German’s new club are in Europa League action on Thursday night as they take on Partizen, at home, after drawing the first leg 1-1. On Sunday, they travel to Bursapor for a league clash and will hope to climb from their current position of 5th.

Fly like an eagle… 🦅🦅🦅#LK1 #bjk #beşiktaş #çarsi pic.twitter.com/Ef0HhPmj7H

— Loris Karius (@LorisKarius) August 28, 2018

Liverpool, meanwhile, will be anxiously awaiting the Champions League group stage draw and, from Pot 3, hoping to avoid some of Europe’s big names. Whoever they get, one suspects, they will fancy their chances.

And yet Karius was the one that pushed to get away from the club that signed him from Hoffenheim and started him in May’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.

“We said goodbye on Friday,” Jurgen Klopp told reporters after Liverpool defeated Brighton at Anfield.

“He’s really looking forward to it, which is good. It’s good for him. I really think Loris is a fantastic goalkeeper, at a very good age.

“A lot of people spoke to me about our improved defensive things, but as good as Alisson has been in the last three games, he was not here for the games before that, it was Loris in goal and he did a lot of good things.”

On is arrival at Besiktas, Karius revealed some details from his final conversation with Klopp before he left on his two-year loan deal.

“Jurgen told me he would like to have me in the squad because he wants to have the best-quality players. But I spoke to him and asked him for my wish. It is important to me to play for Besiktas. I talked with him for a long time and he understood my situation.

“It was a good deal for everyone. He wished me well but said he would have liked to keep me. I came here because I think I can make the next step in my career, improve as a player and also help the whole team to improve. I’m still young for a goalkeeper. I want to make the next step and hopefully win many titles with Besiktas.”

It is understandable to see Karius opting to get away from the harsh spotlight and try to regain his form in Turkey. Just about every time he touched the ball in pre-season games with the Reds, he was mocked by rival fans.

The goalkeeper to lose out here seems to be Simon Mignolet, who has now been portrayed as Liverpool’s third-choice option in goal. Karius’ choosing to go out on loan has left him stuck at Anfield.