Loris Karius signs for Liverpool: Mainz goalkeeper completes £4.7million move after release clause activated

Karius was recently voted as the Bundesliga's second best goalkeeper, behind Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer

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Liverpool have completed the signing of Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius after activating his £4.7million release clause at the German club.

The 22-year-old has will take Liverpool’s vacant number 1 jersey after his request was accepted byJürgen Klopp.

There is a sense that the former Manchester City trainee is returning to England to be more than just competition for Simon Mignolet, whose performances since arriving at Anfield from Sunderland in 2013 have often been criticised.

Last week Karius was voted by readers of respected German football magazine Kicker as the second best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.

Although Karius is yet to be capped by his national team and unless injury intervenes will not feature in next month’s European Championships in France, he is expected to feature in Germany’s Olympic football squad that travels to Rio de Janeiro in August. His presence there would potentially rule him out of the opening three weeks of the Premier League season.

Karius’s five-year Anfield deal means another loan spell next season for Danny Ward, the Welsh international, who could join Huddersfield Town. Klopp’s long-term friend David Wagner is in charge of the West Yorkshire club.

Karius’s recruitment brings the number of Klopp summer signings to three. Red Star Belgrade’s Marko Grujić and Schalke’s Joël Matip are expected to be at Melwood for the first pre-season training session of 2016, which is scheduled to be in the first week of July.