Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius ‘handed a profession lifeline at fallen European large’ after his TV presenter spouse instructed him to LEAVE ‘very inconvenient’ Newcastle

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius could be handed a chance to revive his career following his departure from Newcastle at the end of last season. 

The German has been without a club since his contract at St James’ Park ended last summer. The 31-year-old made only two appearances in all competitions for Eddie Howe‘s side during his two years at the club. 

One potential reason for his short stint on Tyneside was the opinion of his now wife, Italian TV presenter Diletta Leotta, who urged him to change clubs due to the difficulty of getting to Italy from the city. 

According to reports in Germany, she could be set to get her wish, with fallen giants Schalke considering a move for the stopper. 

Schalke’s bid to return to the Bundesliga has been woeful this term, as the team currently sit 13th in an 18-team league at the halfway stage of the campaign. 

The club look set to lose substitute goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann, who has already reached an agreement with fellow second-tier outfit Eintracht Braunschweig, according to Bild. 

Loris Karius could be set for a return to first team football with German side Schalke after leaving Newcastle last summer

The 31-year-old tied the knot with Italian TV presenter Diletta Leotta last summer after the pair welcomed their first child together

Leotta revealed that she was not a fan of Karius playing at Newcastle due to the issues with getting flights to Italy

Karius would stand to inherit the role a Schalke No 2 behind the first-choice stopper Justin Heekeren.

The move would mark a step down for the player who once occupied the No 1 jersey at Liverpool when they reached the final of the 2018 Champions League. Unfortunately, the 3-1 defeat by Real Madrid in Kyiv will forever be remembered for his two costly errors. 

Karius was quickly replaced as the Reds’ stopper and had loan spells in Turkey and Germany, with Besiktas and Union Berlin respectively, before signing with the Magpies in 2022. 

The former Manchester City youngster settled well with the club, playing the role as third-choice stopper but reports last March revealed that his wife was not a fan of his sojourn to the North East city. 

Leotta, who tied the knot with the Germany Under 21 international last summer after welcoming their first child together, remained in her homeland while Karius turned out for Howe’s side. 

‘Loris has people at his side who work for him,’ she told Italian newspaper Tuttosport. ‘I hope he makes the best decision for his career.

‘I live in Milan, so let’s say being close to Milan would be ideal for us. I always tell him, players who come to Serie A then fall in love with Italy and often stay there forever. I think that could happen to him too.

‘[He should join] Monza or any other team in Italy. I would be happy if he came to Italy to play near his family.

‘Newcastle is very inconvenient because there are no direct flights. Neither about Paris nor about Amsterdam.’

The couple have been together since October 2022, in the aftermath of Karius’ exit from Liverpool, but have had to make do with a long-distance relationship due to the nature of their work.

Diletta is a sports presenter for DAZN in Italy and also a model.