Liverpool Transfer News: Loris Karius, Jeison Murillo, Sergio Canos, Top Rumours

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Liverpool are reportedly "closing in" on signing Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius for £4.7 million as they look to bring in competition for current No. 1 Simon Mignolet ^[1].

Per James Pearce in the Liverpool Echo, while an agreement has yet to be reached, "the Reds are confident of securing the services" of the 22-year-old German and manager Jurgen Klopp is "a big admirer." ^[2]

Would Karius be a good addition to the Liverpool squad?

German outlets Bild, Express ^[3] and Kicker also reported that the move is imminent, although his release clause is a slightly more expensive €10 million (£7.8 million), via Sport Witness ^[4].

Despite his youth, Karius is already a very experienced player and has been Mainz's No. 1 goalkeeper in the Bundesliga for the past three seasons, accumulating 91 German top-flight appearances, per WhoScored.com ^[5].

With Adam Bogdan currently not providing Mignolet with much competition at Anfield and set to leave Liverpool in the summer, the Reds need added depth between the posts.

Indeed, Mignolet himself is viewed by many as not being good enough to be the No. 1 in a side with title aspirations, with the 28-year-old Belgian's error-prone performances having cost Liverpool valuable points in 2015-16, per the Telegraph's Ali Tweedale:

Simon Mignolet has made 4 errors leading to PL goals this season - in draws vs WBA, Sunderland, Norwich & Newcastle. Has cost #LFC ^[6] 8 points
— Ali Tweedale (@alitweedale) April 23, 2016 ^[7]

Karius looks to have all the attributes to become a top-class goalkeeper, and he would undoubtedly compete for the No. 1 spot on Merseyside should he make the switch in the summer, per DW Sports' Jonathan Harding:

Karius a good fit for #LFC ^[8]. 22, but experienced (91 Bundesliga appearances) and ambitious. Great reflexes, distribution decent, works hard.
— Jonathan Harding (@JonBloggs66) May 16, 2016 ^[9]

He is only going to improve as he gets older and more experienced, and at just shy of £5 million—or even £8 million—Karius could end up being a bargain for Liverpool if he proves to be an asset to the club over the next decade.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are also reportedly "tracking" Inter Milan's Jeison Murillo—along with Leicester City—and have "made enquiries" about the 23-year-old centre-back, per Italian outlet Leggo (via Calciomercato ^[10]).

A key part of Klopp's imminent squad overhaul at Liverpool will be to address longstanding issues with the defence, and he has already confirmed ^[11] the signing of Schalke centre-back Joel Matip.

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But with Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure no longer good enough, Dejan Lovren still unreliable and Mamadou Sakho set for a long suspension ^[12], the Reds need more than one new addition in the centre of their defence.

Colombian Murillo was a key part of Inter's defence as they finished fourth in Serie A during the 2015-16 season—they had the third-best defensive record in the division—appearing 34 times, per WhoScored ^[13].

Elsewhere, Liverpool youngster Sergi Canos—who made his Reds debut on Sunday—is reportedly in a "contract stand-off" with the club and could depart if a new deal cannot be agreed.

According to Jack Pitt-Brooke ^[14] in the Independent, the 19-year-old Spanish winger has only one year left to run on his current deal at Anfield, and Liverpool may be forced to sell him for £1 million this summer to one of several interested parties—including Brentford, Reading, Fulham and Rangers—if he does not accept the contract he is being offered.

Pitt-Brooke added that a new deal worth £3,000 per week is already on the table at Liverpool, but that is "one-third of what he could hope to command if he left."