Loris Karius has revealed that he only learned about Liverpool's £65 million signing of Alisson Becker through the news, with no prior warning from the club. The German goalkeeper, who was the Reds' first-choice at the time, said the transfer took him by surprise.
Speaking to The Independent, Karius explained: 'It took me a bit off guard. I just read it in the news. No one told me before that they were making the signing or spoke with me, but I guess that's football.' He added that when he questioned why he wasn't informed, the club responded that they couldn't notify every player about every positional signing.
The Brazil international arrived in July 2018, just weeks after Karius endured a nightmare Champions League final against Real Madrid. Two costly errors in the 3-1 defeat, including a misplaced roll-out that allowed Karim Benzema to score and a fumbled Gareth Bale shot, effectively ended his Liverpool career. He never played another competitive game for the club, later going on loan to Besiktas and Union Berlin before leaving when his contract expired in 2022.
Despite the disappointment, Karius insists there is no animosity towards Alisson, saying: 'There's no bad blood or anything. Alisson has done a fantastic job up to today, he's a great goalkeeper. But if they planned on this from the beginning, maybe someone could have like put me on notice a little earlier.'
Karius is now rebuilding his career at FC Schalke 04, who were relegated in 2023. He admitted that after his Liverpool contract ended, he considered quitting football altogether. 'It was not the worst six months. I still enjoyed myself. I spent a lot of time with my family, I did a lot of travelling,' he said.
Now aiming for a Bundesliga return with Schalke, Karius added: 'It would mean a lot to everyone – not just to me – at this club... To see all these people, the joy that they have right now watching us play is really special.'
