Karius determined to keep Liverpool out of the goalkeeper market

Liverpool are being heavily linked with a summer swoop for a new goalkeeper but Loris Karius is determined to keep them out of the market.

The Reds have struggled to find a reliable option between the sticks, with Simon Mignolet’s inconsistency posing problems.

Karius was acquired to help provide competition and a possible long-term solution, but the German has also seen his value questioned on the back of some error-strewn showings.

He has been promised the No. 1 spot until the end of the season by Jurgen Klopp, but it remains to be seen whether he will retain that berth for 2018-19.

The 24-year-old is eager to prove his worth, with links to the likes of Roma shot-stopper Alisson shrugged off in telling the Liverpool Echo: “If you read the press as a Liverpool player then every week we would have five new signings in every position.

“You can’t go crazy about the speculation. When I look at the training, I think we do have good quality already with the keepers.
“I think we’ve been a bit unlucky at times. Often you don’t have much to do. Then if you don’t do something 100 per cent right it weighs a lot heavier than for other goalies at smaller clubs who have several more saves to make in a game. That’s life at a big club like Liverpool and you have to deal with it.
“I just want to present myself well and then I’ll have the chance to play at this club for the next season as well.
“That’s the challenge facing me personally. I also want to help this team achieve as much as we can.

“As well as the top four, we still have the Champions League. We want to go forward in that and why not win it? There are lots of big aims for the rest of the season.”

Karius was largely restricted to Champions League duty until mid-December, but he has returned to favour of late and believes a regular run will help him to find his best form.

He added: “It was difficult in the first half of the season but I didn’t do too bad.
“I still had high quality games in the Champions League and I knew my chance would come in the Premier League. I went in and out of the team a bit but I showed the manager that when he needs me I’m there.

“Of course I was happy with the decision (to become No. 1). You get more in a routine game by game but I know I need to keep performing.”
The Reds face Southampton on Sunday before taking on Porto in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie midweek