Confusion Over Loris Karius’s Loan Deal Reigns

Loris Karius has not had a great year. After his calamitous performance in the Champions League final last season, his Liverpool career was ended indefinitely when he accepted a two year loan to Turkish club Besiktas. Fans who wanted what was best for Karius, even while understanding that Anfield was no longer the best place for him, hoped that he would regain his confidence and find his feet again in Turkey.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case, and reports out of the Turkish press were that Besiktas had asked Liverpool to take the goalkeeper back in January. These rumours were in response to some poor performances and gaffes from Karius early in this season.

The ECHO has dismissed these stories, saying that no such inquiry has been made from Besiktas. They also point out that there is no early termination clause in Karius’s loan deal, which makes it less likely that anything like this will come to pass.

Karius himself weighed in on the subject on Tuesday, posting a picture of himself to Instagram with the comment, “coffee first, media bullshit second” along with a smiley face emoji. He has since deleted that post, but it makes clear his opinion on this rumour.

While Karius isn’t likely to return to Liverpool any time soon, the requirements for Besiktas to buy him, as settled on in the loan agreement, after the conclusion of his two-year loan may not be met. The criteria for buying Karius includes meeting certain appearance requirements.

It’s still early in this loan, so there’s time for him return to the form of the Loris Karius of the second half of last season — one disastrous game notwithstanding.