Jurgen Klopp admits Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet have every right to feel unhappy about their situation at Liverpool following the arrival of Brazil No 1 Alisson. Mignolet has not played for Liverpool since January and is reportedly the subject of interest from Besiktas.
Liverpool made Alisson the most expensive goalkeeper in history when they signed him from Roma this month and Klopp now accepts he does not know what the future holds for Mignolet and Karius.
“We had the opportunity to bring in one of the best goalkeepers in the world,” Klopp told Sky Sports News. “Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet are both outstanding goalkeepers but we have outstanding midfielders and strikers and defenders but we still brought in [players in those positions] any way to help us make the next step.nThat is the world of football. Of course, can Loris be happy or Simon be 100 per cent happy about the situation? I don’t think so. How can people be happy like that? But it is part of life.”
Pressed on whether the duo will remain at Anfield, Klopp said: “I don’t know. We need to see that. We don’t need 54 players and 20 goalkeepers. That’s how it is. But if somebody comes and says ‘can we have him for four pounds, or whatever, no of course not. They are quality players, all of them, and we are not in a situation where we have to do something. But if someone comes [with an offer] we are always open for talks as we have shown in the past but there is nothing decided for the moment. From my point of view – purely as the head coach of the team – to have these three goalkeepers and the two young boys [goalkeepers Kamil Grabara and Caoimhin Kelleher], that makes me feel really good. But, it’s part of the business that some people will leave the club, so we will see what happens.”
Liverpool looked set to sign Nabil Fekir before the World Cup started but Klopp appeared to pour cold water on suggestions that the Lyon captain could still move to Anfield this summer.
“There is nothing I really to need say about that,” Klopp added. “I said already something about it around a pre-season game – I don’t know exactly which one – that’s probably done.”
Klopp also came to the defence of Alisson’s price saying Jan Oblak’s release clause of €100m (£89m) indicates the £67m Liverpool spent on Alisson is not “crazy money”.
Liverpool’s summer spend went past £170m in making Alisson the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, with the Brazil No 1 joining from Roma on a long-term deal. Klopp has defended the amount paid for Alisson, citing Oblak’s release clause at Atletico Madrid as a reason why the market for goalkeepers is different.
“Everybody thinks it’s a lot of money. It is a lot of money, but he could’ve left for crazy money,” the Liverpool boss told ESPN FC. “The clause for Oblak, for example, is €100m, so nice! The goalkeeper market is different because it’s not each year that there is anybody available. We didn’t know exactly if Alisson is available or not, but from a specific moment we realised obviously he is available and that’s the moment when we decided we want to go for him.”
Alisson’s arrival at Anfield has cast Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet’s futures in doubt, but Klopp has stressed the duo are Premier League quality. Karius emerged as Liverpool’s first choice ahead of Mignolet last season, but went on to make two costly errors in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid – though it was later revealed Karius had been suffering from concussion.
Klopp reiterated that Alisson was not brought in on the back of those mistakes.