Besiktas goalkeeper Loris Karius: 'Jurgen Klopp wanted to keep me at Liverpool'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 29 August 2018

Goalkeeper Loris Karius says that Jurgen Klopp needed to be convinced to allow him to leave Liverpool in order to sign a two-year loan deal with Besiktas.

Goalkeeper Loris Karius has revealed that he needed to convince Jurgen Klopp to allow him to join Besiktas on a two-year loan deal.

Karius ended last season as first choice at Anfield, but two high-profile errors in the Champions League final and the arrival of Alisson Becker resulted in the German being demoted to the bench.

Besiktas have moved to offer Karius regular first-team action until 2020, but Karius has said that Klopp was not initially open to the idea.

At his official unveiling in Turkey, the 25-year-old said: "He told me he would like to have me in the squad because he wants to have the best quality players.

"I spoke to him and asked him for my wish, it is important to me to play for Besiktas. I talked with him for a long time and he understood my situation.

"I think it was a good deal for everyone. He wished me well but he said he would have liked to keep me."

Karius made 49 appearances during his first two years with the Merseyside giants.