Loris Karius, the German goalkeeper who will forever be associated with two costly errors in the 2018 Champions League final, remains on Liverpool's books as his contract expires this summer. The 28-year-old has not played a single minute for the club this season, serving as fifth-choice behind Alisson, Caoimhin Kelleher, Adrian and Marcelo Pitaluga.
Karius's mistakes in the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kyiv—rolling the ball onto Karim Benzema's foot and spilling Gareth Bale's tame shot—were later attributed to a concussion suffered after a collision with Sergio Ramos. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed in July 2018 that Karius had 26 of 30 markers for concussion five days after the final, but stressed it was an explanation, not an excuse.
Despite the concussion revelation, Karius had been unconvincing throughout his first two seasons at Anfield, failing to establish himself ahead of Simon Mignolet. Klopp subsequently signed Alisson from Roma for £66.8 million, describing the Brazilian as 'one of the world's best goalkeepers.'
Karius then spent two seasons on loan at Besiktas, making 67 appearances and helping the Turkish side finish third in consecutive league campaigns. However, his loan was cut short after a pay dispute, and he joined Union Berlin on loan for the 2020-21 season. He played only four Bundesliga games as Union finished seventh, and the loan was not made permanent.
Returning to Liverpool last summer with one year left on his contract, Karius was unable to secure a move away. Klopp stated in January that Karius was 'in really good shape' and training hard, but the club's decision to treat him 'completely normally' meant he remained an unused squad member. His career now looks set for a fresh start elsewhere when his contract expires.
