As surprise returns to the Premier League go, this was right up there with the very best.
To say eyebrows were raised when the announcement was confirmed would be an understatement. While jaws from some probably hit the deck in shock.
But just like that, he was back. Loris Karius back in the top-flight, joining Newcastle United on a deal until January.
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The 29-year-old had been without a club since leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, but the torn ankle ligaments sustained recently by Karl Darlow, Newcastle’s second-choice goalkeeper, dictated Eddie Howe needed to sign cover for England’s Nick Pope.
With Darlow expected to be sidelined until some point in November, Karius has a chance to establish himself as Pope’s understudy and convince Newcastle’s manager to activate an option to extend his contract until the end of the season.
The move caps off a whirlwind six years for the German, who initially put pen-to-paper on his Liverpool deal back in May 2016. At the time, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp claimed his side beat off competition from other clubs to secure the goalkeeper’s signature.
“I am delighted we have signed Loris, he has had a fantastic season with Mainz and has developed into a very good goalkeeper since his return to Germany,” he said.
“I am really pleased that we were able to move so quickly to get him and that Loris has shown such a desire to come to Liverpool with a lot of other clubs interested in him.
“I know he will add to the quality we have in this position and I look forward to working with him and all our players when we return for pre-season.”
Karius had already experienced life in England upon his move to Merseyside, having spent time at Manchester City as a teenager. The German, it is believed, made so many friends in Manchester that, at one stage, he lived in an apartment in the city centre after joining the Reds.
"It was just in this transition period where the club was restructuring," former City Academy chief Jim Cassell told ChronicleLive when asked about the German’s time in Manchester.
"He was always on the radar and it was well followed through to get him to come to the club. It's funny when you get lots of change. Some people benefit from it and some people don't. Loris possibly didn't benefit as much, but he would have been well cared for at City.
“Even though I didn't deal with him, I know the guys there were good people and will have done everything to try and give him the best possible chance."
Karius’ first appearance for Liverpool was away to Derby County in the League Cup in the middle of September - and he kept his place for the next Premier League game at home to Hull before starting in his side’s next 10 league games.
However, mistakes against Bournemouth and West Ham would see him drop back to the Liverpool bench. And apart from appearances in the FA Cup and League Cup, that was where he would remain for the rest of the season.
The German then kicked off the 2017/18 season as second choice behind Simon Mignolet. But after a period of rotation, Karius soon found himself as first choice heading into the second half of the season.
Soon, after a fine Champions League run, Karius found himself preparing for the biggest game of his career. The Champions League final with Liverpool taking on Real Madrid at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium.
But what should have been the proudest moment of Karius' career ended up turning into a nightmare that left the tearful goalkeeper unable to sleep after he was at fault for Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale's goals in Real's 3-1 victory.
“What can I say,” said an emotionally drained and almost speechless Klopp in the immediate aftermath. “Loris knows it, everybody knows it. It’s a shame in a game like this and after a season like this. I really feel for him. He’s a really good boy.
“The second one was caused by the first one. It’s really difficult to get rid of those thoughts in your mind.”
However, Liverpool, in the weeks following the defeat, would confirm that Karius was recovering from concussion. He'd suffered a blow to the head during the final following a collision with Sergio Ramos - before both mistakes happened.
"I know a concussion isn’t coming and going in a day – if you have one, you see it days later," admitted Klopp in July 2018.
“Five days after the final, Loris had 26 of 30 markers for a concussion still. That’s clear. If you ask Loris, he says he didn’t think about it and didn’t use it for a second as an excuse. We don’t use it as an excuse, we use it as an explanation.
“That’s always important, that’s what analysis should be: you explain why things happen. So, from this point of view, from my side everything is fine. We don’t think about that anymore and we start completely new."
Karius opted against keeping the gloves he wore that night. But instead of throwing them out, he gave them to Daniel Jolley, his then personal chef, immediately after he got home.
"Loris threw the gloves at me and went, 'It's done and dusted. We'll go again next year. That was it," Jolley told ChronicleLive earlier this month.
"He was upset - of course he was - because he got the blame for everything. He was getting all sorts of hate mail and s***e sent to him."
Karius made his Liverpool return in the 7-0 friendly win over Chester at the start of the new season, but it was what happened next that signalled the end of his time at Anfield.
A meeting with Tranmere Rovers was next up for Klopp’s side and the former Mainz man found himself back in the spotlight. Danny Ward started between the sticks, and helped his side race into a 3-0 lead at the break.
Karius then came on at the break and endured 45 minutes to forget. Ollie Norburn's free-kick was spilled by the German, enabling Jonny Smith to sweep home for a goal on his Tranmere debut.
And even though Rovers got another goal back, Liverpool held on for a 3-2 win. Klopp, though, again leapt to the defence of Karius - but admitted the mistake was far from ideal as the goalkeeper's confidence took another hit.
He said: “No one likes that goal [Tranmere's opener] but if we talk about the second goal I think it was Millie's fault together with Pedro.
"Two brilliant footballers make this mistake, which one was the bigger? I would say the second goal but we don’t talk about that. Now Loris concedes that goal but we cannot start the story always after each mistake.
“Mistakes will happen. I don’t like it, you don’t like it, he doesn’t like it but they do happen so let’s carry on and make the best of all these situations to learn from it.
“You can all stop it immediately—promise?" Added Klopp in response to being bombarded with questions over Karius. "You never ask again, that would be one little step. Yeah, it will probably happen for a while until he has a few fantastic games, that is how the situation is. We cannot change that. Our job is to perform and you do what you do and that is part of the deal.
“It is obvious, we don’t have to hide it. Yes, he could have made that save, even though the ugly shot was not easy to deal with. I’ve seen this situation 500 times at least in my life—bam, against the chest, going down. No one likes that in these situations."
But despite Klopp’s public defence, things were clearly happening behind the scenes as Liverpool soon announced the signing of a new goalkeeper. Alisson Becker arrived from A.S. Roma for £67m and Karius was soon on his way to Turkish side Besiktas.
Liverpool agreed an initial two-year loan with Besiktas paying a loan fee of £2.25million. The Turkish side were obligated to buy the shot-stopper for a further £7.25million in 2020 related to number of appearances and if the club qualified for Europe.
And although he made 67 appearances in all competitions during his two seasons in Turkey, he made two well-publicised mistakes in the Europa League and his loan deal was cut short following a pay dispute. "I was very patient for months telling the board over and over again," Karius wrote on Instagram at the time. "Same things happened already last year."
With two years still to run on his Liverpool contract, Karius was forced to agree to another loan deal. This time it was with Union Berlin and return to his home country.
"Union is a special club, one that has earned a great deal of respect, not just by promotion to the Bundesliga," said Karius. "I would like to play my part in this positive development and help to achieve the great goal of staying in the Bundesliga."
But if Karius believed he was in for regular game time then he was mistaken, as he went on to make just four appearances for the club. It was no surprise that his loan deal was not made permanent at the end of the season.
A shoulder injury then scuppered any chances of moving on during the summer transfer window following his return from Germany.
Rumours were widespread back in January that Karius would be making his Liverpool comeback in the third round of the FA Cup against Shrewsbury, but it was Caoimhin Kelleher who stood in for Alisson in the 4-1 win.
And a week after the game, Klopp revealed that Karius was allowed to seek new employment during the January transfer window as he outlined the goalkeeping pecking order at Anfield.
He said: "There are different things, one is Loris Karius the player who is doing absolutely nothing wrong and he is in really good shape, he is training really hard. He is fully committed, the goalie coaches are fully committed. That is clear.
"Before the season we made a decision and obviously it was in the club’s interest as well that Loris finds a new club but that didn’t happen.
"We made a decision that he will be treated completely normally, absolutely. As long as we don’t have a massive situation here, our No.1 is Ali, our No.2 is Caoimhin, No.3 is Adrian, No.4 is Marcelo [Pitaluga]. That is already four goalkeepers and we were never in a situation where we had to use a fifth one.
"It has nothing to do with the quality, we made the decision and the boys do really well obviously. I think everyone is impressed by the development of Caoimhin Kelleher who is ready for pretty much everything.
"We all know about the quality of Adrian and the impact he has on training and in the dressing room and he would always be ready to go. Marcelo is an incredible talent, so the next one is line. That’s it.
"Loris I wish him only the best and he will find a club whether it is now or in the summer and from there he will go on, I’m very sure."
However, the German remained at Anfield before officially leaving Liverpool back in June following the conclusion of his contract. He was philosophical when reflecting upon his time at the club.
“There were ups and downs. It's part of the game, that's football, but I've developed as a person,” the German remarked. “I'll take my determination with me to my next job. It's about having a good feeling. The club can be in Germany, but also abroad.
“I just have to feel that the chemistry with those responsible is right, that they have a good feeling about me, and I have a good feeling with them."
The German’s last competitive appearance was in February 2021, with Union Berlin, and the move to Newcastle represents a valuable opportunity for Karius to get his career back on track. It is a challenge, but it is one that the German is more than up for, although even his new boss, Eddie Howe, believes the now 29-year-old has a point to prove.
"I felt it was the right project for me and I'm excited to work with the coaches and my new team-mates," Karius said after putting pen-to-paper on his Newcastle deal.
"I'm excited. It's a good opportunity for me and a great project to be part of. It didn't take me long to make a decision," said Karius, who had joined Liverpool from Mainz 05 in 2016. Newcastle have a great coach and play really attractive football."
Before Howe added: "I haven’t really gone into any depth on his career with him yet. He’s only been here a minimal time. Every player that comes in has a point to prove. We certainly want to help him get to the best levels that he is capable of.
"From what I have seen in training I’ve been very impressed by him, not just his performances but his conduct and how he has carried himself."
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