LORIS KARIUS has revealed he has hired a new agent in order to secure him a transfer to Italy.
The 30-year-old German goalie joined Newcastle United in September 2022 as third-choice.
However, he was thrust into the spotlight last season when he made his debut in the 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United.
And Karius was back in action again after injuries to the two main goalkeepers forced Eddie Howe to use him against Arsenal last month as the Magpies were hammered 4-1.
Even though he was on the losing side both times, the former Liverpool stopper did receive credit for his performances.
But his contract is not expected to be renewed once it expires in June and the homesick Karius has now admitted that he is desperate to move closer to his girlfriend, football presenter Diletta Leotta, and their newborn baby daughter in Italy.
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And he has hired ex-Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, who is now an agent, to try and land him a transfer back near his family.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Karius said: “I want to play more.
“I would like to sign for an Italian club and I have chosen the agency of Claudio Marchisio to represent me.”
Karius, who was previously linked with a move to Italy last year before agreeing a 12-month extension at Newcastle, is engaged to Diletta, who has 8.5 million followers on Instagram.
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Karius began his career at Mainz but is best remembered for his time at Liverpool, where he made 49 appearances, including the Champions League final in 2018.
They were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid, with the German at fault for two goals after infamously throwing the ball out for it to deflect off Karim Benzema before fumbling Gareth Bale’s long range effort.
He was subsequently loaned out to Besiktas and spent last season away at Union Berlin before heading to Newcastle on a free when his Liverpool contract expired.
Diletta is well known as one of the most prominent presenters in Italian football.
She presents Champions League and Serie A action on DAZN in Italy, where she is still based due to her busy career.
But she and Karius often post loved up photos together, when their schedules allow.
And Newcastle supporters did not seem to be concerned that Karius wanted to get back to his daughter and beautiful partner.
One wrote that they “can’t blame him” while another added: “There is no shock there. Every time we play him, we send him out to fail.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk