Jurgen Klopp has reportedly decided as to which goalkeepers will remain at Liverpool and who will leave before the start of the season. There has been a massive problem at Liverpool regarding goalkeepers but the new season finally holds some positive news. And there are claims that Simon Mignolet will be making a move away from the club with Turkish club Besiktas interested in the Belgian.
Mignolet arrived at Liverpool back in 2013 from Sunderland and has gone on to make 155 appearances in between the sticks for the Merseyside club. However, his unimpressive showings for Liverpool have put him under heavy criticism. The 30-year-old cost Liverpool two titles because of his defensive faults back in the 2015 EFL Cup final against Manchester United and the 2016 Europa League final against Sevilla. Even during the start of last season, Mignolet was unconvincing and looked a bit shaky which cost Liverpool some costly points. This made Klopp rethink and confirm Loris Karius as the number one keeper for the club, who arrived at Liverpool in 2016 from Bundesliga club Mainz.
When Klopp entrusted his faith in Loris Karius earlier last season, making the German his number one over Simon Mignolet there was initially some doubt with nervy beginnings but Karius showed some steady improvements over time helping Liverpool reach the Champions League final. But that’s when it all took a turn for the worst as Karius gifted Madrid two goals in the final which denied Liverpool the prestigious European Cup. Even in preseason, Karius made some blunders where he fumbled some easy shots and came under heavy abuse from the Liverpool faithful which prompted Klopp to make a new signing in the goalkeeping department.
Liverpool smashed the world record when they decided to splash £67 million on AS Roma’s star goalkeeper Allison Becker. The Brazilian was excellent for the Serie A club helping them to the Champions League semi-finals where they were ironically knocked out by Liverpool. However, Alisson is certainly bound to be the first choice keeper at Liverpool. However, what does that mean for the back up’s at Liverpool?
According to the latest reports, Liverpool is set to keep hold of Karius and allow Mignolet to leave the club. Mignolet still has three years left on his deal with Liverpool but the Premier League outfit prefers to sell the 30-year-old rather than to loan him out. And Turkish giants Besiktas are reportedly in the front of the queue to sign Mignolet. But surprisingly, Besiktas will face competition from some suitors across the European continent.
I think that Karius has been given the trust by Klopp because he is still relatively young at just 25 years old. With Alisson as the first choice, Liverpool stands a very good chance at potentially winning the Premier League title, though nothing is confirmed yet as they have previously been there and have messed it up big time. However, the fans will be hoping that things are different this time, as they have a really strong team now and can actually win titles.
