Liverpool nearly pulled plug on Alisson Becker transfer after Loris Karius criticism, reveals Jurgen Klopp

Goalkeeper battle: Alisson has started the season as Liverpool's No1
REUTERS

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists that Loris Karius' Champions League final horror show did not hasten the club's plans to sign Alisson Becker from Roma.

In fact, the Liverpool boss says that the criticism Karius faced after the final almost made him pull out of the Alisson deal altogether, in a show of loyalty to his existing number one.

Karius was at fault for the first two goals in Real Madrid's 3-1 triumph in Kiev and then started pre-season in poor form, with his confidence clearly knocked.

Klopp reacted by splashing £65million on Alisson, in what was briefly a world-record deal for a goalkeeper, and the Brazilian has started this season as number one.

Loris Karius endured a nightmare Champions League Final in Kiev
AFP/Getty Images

Yet speaking to German magazine Kicker, Klopp said that the two were not linked.

"The Champions League Final had nothing to do with us getting Alisson, he said. "Even if he had won it and Alisson would have been on the market we would have still signed him.

"And how the people reacted negatively to Karius after the final, by trying to isolate him, that almost made me not sign Alisson and rather stick it out with Karius.

In Pictures | Real Madrid vs Liverpool, Champions League Final 2018

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"But we had to be professional, our job is to have the best players on every position.

"We simply identified another keeper, who is better, and signed him."

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