Loris Karius Likely to Stay at Besiktas for 2019-2020 Season

At times it felt like we spent half the 2018-19 season hearing about things going wrong for Loris Karius at Besiktas. Whether it was jeering fans or a fallout with his manager or that the club weren’t paying him—seriously, they weren’t paying him—there was always something.

At least that’s how it felt. Which makes it surprising today to hear that the goalkeeper is in fact likely to spend the second year of his originally agreed loan spell at the Turkish club. So. I guess in the end he sorted everything out and was probably also being paid again.

“I think that if all parties are happy and satisfied, I will continue,” Karius noted following Besiktas’ penultimate game of the season, appearing to confirm speculation in the Turkish press that he now expected to stay another year. “My contract with Besiktas continues.”

Besiktas are locked into a Europa League place in the Super Lig, four points back of third with a game to play. The only question is whether they finish fourth and go directly to the group stages or finish fifth behind Trabzonspor and enter in the third qualifying round.

If Karius in fact stays for his second year it is likely a third will come—Besiktas have an obligation to purchase the player for £7.5M at the end of the loan spell if he plays starting minutes for the Turkish club and they qualify for Europe in both seasons he’s with them.