Hertha Berlin are reportedly interested in signing Loris Karius in the summer transfer window when the German goalkeeper returns to Merseyside from a two-year loan spell with Besiktas.
According to Sport1, the German side have kept Karius on their radar for some time, with the Berlin-based club this year receiving a major investment from businessman Lars Windhorst in what was single largest equity transaction in Bundesliga history, as reported by DW, allowing Alexander Nouri’s side to sign some big-name players in January such as Krzysztof Piatek from AC Milan and Lucas Tousart from Lyon.
Karius’ future at Liverpool is currently unknown, with the 26-year-old keeper set to return from Besiktas this summer after two years with the Turkish giants after the former 1.FSV Mainz 05 star was shipped off following his disastrous performance in the 2018 Champions League final.
Despite Jurgen Klopp describing Karius as “a very good goalkeeper” following his £4.7m move to Anfield in 2017, as per The Guardian, the former Manchester City youth player is highly unlikely to be a part of Liverpool’s plans for the 2020/21 season, with Alisson Becker the assured number one and Adrian proving to be a solid backup.
And this interest from Hertha could be Karius’ way of escaping from Liverpool for good, with the German side likely to splash out again on big-name signings in the summer window with the investment they received earlier in the year. A return to Germany could be perfect for the former Germany youth international to restart his career.
The psychological effect the 2018 Champions League final had on Karius has been well-documented, and a complete change of scenery at a club who are striving for big things in the future could be exactly what the 26-year-old needs to get that monkey off his chest, and kick-start his career in his homeland.