As the summer transfer window approaches, change is on the cards at Newcastle United with one fringe player's future now reportedly closer to a resolution as he prepares to leave St James' Park as a free agent.
Newcastle transfer news
After a fairly tame summer window last time out, the Magpies are reportedly wasting no time before landing reinforcements for Eddie Howe and his side, with deals for both Lloyd Kelly and Tosin Adarabioyo on the cards in the coming weeks. Both players are set to be out of contract at the end of this month and free to complete moves to St James' Park in what should be looked at as bargain deals.
Two central defenders, Howe should also see any defensive depth issues cease once and for all to hand his side a major boost ahead of the next campaign, having been forced to shoehorn the likes of Dan Burn into the role in the season just gone. As two players likely arrive in free deals, however, another is on his way out in similar fashion, with his future now becoming clearer.
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According to reports in Italy via The Shields Gazette, Como 1907 are close to signing Loris Karius, who wants to move to Italy to be closer to his family. The former Liverpool shot-stopper has even appointed an Italian agency with the explicit intent of finding a new home in Serie A, with the Magpies also confirming he is free to find a new home.
The Italian side meanwhile have just earned promotion to top flight, with Cesc Fàbregas playing his part as assistant manager, and now the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder could use his Premier League expertise to welcome Karius on a free deal this summer.
Karius played just twice for Newcastle and will leave hoping to finally earn a starting role to put an end to a nightmare few years and get his career back on track at last.
Last chance saloon for "great" Karius
Since quite literally fumbling his Liverpool career in a Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid in 2018, Karius has been unable to return to a starting role, finding himself as low as the number three spot behind Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka at Newcastle. Now 30 years old, a last chance beckons for the shot-stopper and a last chance that he must take.
The German will be hoping to find the form that he showed in one of his two Newcastle appearances in their Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester United last season. Howe was full of praise for Karius after his performance, saying via The Metro: "I think his all-round demeanour was good, his distribution was good.
"I thought he made some great saves, especially when we were chasing the game. He was always going to have to play well in that second half as we were leaving grass behind our back line, but he can be really proud of his efforts today."
Once a Champions League goalkeeper, Karius looks set to get one more chance to take a number one role in Italy this summer, potentially working under a Premier League legend.
