Sporting Lisbon are interested in signing Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius this summer, per Fanatik via Sport Witness.
What’s the word?
Karius has spent the season on loan at Besiktas but he is not set to stay at the Turkish club, as they reportedly cannot afford to pay the fee it would take to snaffle him away from Anfield permanently.
Thus, Fanatik reports that Sporting have entered the race and have already held talks with the German stopper.
Anderlecht have also been linked, the Sport Witness report states, and Karius’ contract expires in 2021, meaning this could be the last transfer window in which Liverpool can receive a fee for him.
Snap their hands off
Karius hasn’t got a future at Liverpool.
Alisson Becker is the undisputed No.1 at the club, with Adrian – despite recent mistakes – a more than capable deputy.
Bringing Karius back is a fanciful idea, especially when one considers that he has shipped 46 goals in 32 outings for Besiktas this season.
No clues: Can you name the season these iconic Liverpool images belong to?
He is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt and receiving such a fee would be good business for the Reds; they paid £4.7m for him in the first place.
It must be said that this has been a rare instance of sporting director Michael Edwards getting it wrong, but his mistake has since been righted with the signing of Alisson.
Thus, while it isn’t profit, it is almost all of their money back for a goalkeeper who cost them the Champions League final two seasons ago if Sporting are prepared to pay his current market value.
Even if they're not, Liverpool should be biting any club's hand off at this point. Karius' deal is about to enter its final 18 months and he's still synonymous with that abysmal performance in the 2018 Champions League final.