Loris Karius To Return To EPL With Newcastle More Than Four Years After Last Liverpool Game

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is set to sign for Newcastle United.

Karius is close to penning a short-term contract with Newcastle to provide cover for no.1 stopper Nick Pope, according to Sky Sports.

He is able to move outside of the transfer window as he was a free agent when the deadline passed.

Newcastle's move for Karius comes after backup keeper Karl Darlow sustained an ankle ligament injury in training on Wednesday.

The club's other reserve keeper, Martin Dubravka, recently left St James' Park to join Manchester United on loan and cannot be recalled until January.

Karius, 29, has Premier League experience after keeping 13 clean sheets in 29 games for Liverpool between 2016 and 2018.

The German's last EPL appearance came in a 4-0 win over Brighton at Anfield on May 13, 2018. He played in the Champions League final 13 days later and produced two errors as Liverpool lost 3-1 to Real Madrid.

Loris Karius, pictured during the 2018 Champions League final, is set to sign for Newcastle

IMAGO/MIS

Karius actually remained on Liverpool's books for another four years before being released at the end of June when his contract expired.

But he has not formed part of Jurgen Klopp's first-team plans since that night against Madrid.

Karius spent two seasons on loan at Besiktas before spending the 2020/21 campaign at Union Berlin.

He did not play any senior football last season after Klopp decided not to make him one of Liverpool's four designated keepers.

Speaking about Karius in January, Klopp told LiverpoolFC.com: "So, there are different things. One is Loris Karius the player, who is doing absolutely nothing wrong, who is in a really good shape, who is training very hard. He is committed, the goalie coaches are fully committed, that's clear.

Karius pictured celebrating with Jurgen Klopp (right) after Liverpool beat Southampton 2-0 in February 2018

IMAGO/Sportimage/Simon Bellis

"But before the season we made a decision. Obviously it was in the club's interest as well that Loris finds a new club, stuff like this. That didn't happen, so fine. We made a decision: he'll be treated completely normally absolutely but we have the goalies. As long as we don't have a massive situation here, our no.1 is Ali (Alisson Becker), our no.2 is Caoimh (Caoimhin Kelleher), no.3 is Adrian, no.4 is Marcelo [Pitaluga] and then there's already four goalkeepers.

"We were never in a situation where we had to use the fifth one. It has nothing to do with the quality, we made the decision and the boys do really well obviously. I think everybody is impressed by the development of Caoimhin Kelleher, who is ready for pretty much everything.

"We all know about the quality of Adrian and the impact he has on training and the dressing room and stuff like this and would always be ready to go. And Marcelo is an incredible talent, an absolutely incredible talent, the next one in line. That's it. But Loris, I wish him only the best and he will find a club whenever – now or in the summer. And then from there he will go on, I'm very sure."