Jurgen Klopp Dismisses Butland Transfer Rumours & Admits Karius Will Get His Chance to Be No.1

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has distanced the club from rumours of a move to sign Jack Butland this summer, saying he "wasn't perfect" when he last watched him play.

As reported by the Mirror, Klopp revealed he will give Loris Karius a chance to earn himself a position as the club's undisputed first choice goalkeeper in the remaining months of the season, after he was recently drafted in to the role ahead of Simon Mignolet. The German goalkeeper made an error against Manchester City last weekend, but saw his side win the game 4-3.

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Mignolet has been first choice for most of the season so far, but a series of errors in his game has forced Klopp into bringing Karius back in as first choice. Liverpool's main weakness, according to pundits and fans alike, has been between the sticks - many believe they need to sign a world class 'keeper to compete - but Klopp is ready to give Karius a fair shot.

He said: “My favourite solution, always, is that we do it with our boys. They deliver, they improve. 

“It is not a case of 'get somebody else', it is get the right solution and the right solution is the one that we already have here. I saw a lot of good things in the games he played in the last few weeks and that is why he is in, but of course Loris has to deliver and he knows that.

“He is the number one and that means he can play a game and can concede a goal against Manchester City – it's not that we want that but it is possible – but all the good things I'd like to see again.”

Klopp's side have been linked with a move for Butland for a number of months, but he went on to hint that he would not be making a play for the Stoke and England goalkeeper as he wasn't necessarily an improvement on what Liverpool already have.

He said: “I will only mention one name. Everyone talks about him with us and that is Butland. I only saw the one game. Fantastic goalkeeper but was he perfect? No.

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“He wasn’t in that game. But everyone says 'still better than our boys!' It makes no real sense if he comes in and makes a mistake in his first game. Everyone then says 'we need another and another one and another one'.

“We have to cool down. These boys all have big quality. These lads are here and now they have to create a situation where they show it every week. It doesn’t mean they will be free of mistakes for the next 20 years. Nobody can do that.”