Loris Karius hints at intention to leave Liverpool in January

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has hinted he intends to try and leave the club when the next transfer window opens in January after injury cost him an exit during the summer.

Karius hasn’t played a competitive game for Liverpool since the disastrous 2018 Champions League final but has returned to the club this season after spending the last three years out on loan at Besiktas and Union Berlin.

The 28-year-old German hasn’t had a look in so far after picking up an injury in August and is Jurgen Klopp’s fourth choice stopper behind Alisson, Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian.

Now that he is close to returning to training, Karius’ primary motivation is to find a club where he will be number one and playing every game.

“I've been out for about six weeks and I'll try to re-join training after the international break and get back in top shape,” he said, discussing his situation with Bild.

“We'll see what will happen in the winter. My goal is to be under the bar every week. And we'll see where that is. There were a few clubs in the picture [in the summer], but that didn't get off the ground for various reasons.”

Karius, who spent time at Manchester City during his youth career, joined Liverpool from Mainz in the summer of 2016, making him one of Klopp’s earliest signings for the club.

He initially competed for the gloves with Simon Mignolet and made 16 appearances in all competitions in his debut season, before then playing 33 times in 2017/18.

Karius was chosen ahead of Mignolet for the 2018 Champions League final, but his costly errors in that match on top of other shaky moments in the months before convinced Klopp and the Anfield hierarchy that a new starting goalkeeper was necessary.

That prompted the £67m capture of Alisson and Liverpool haven’t looked back.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!