Mignolet has a fight on his hands to be Liverpool’s first choice ‘keeper following the signing of Loris Karius.
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet appears to have welcomed the added competition he has at the club this season following the signing of Loris Karius from Mainz.
Mignolet has been the first choice goalkeeper at Anfield for the past three seasons but some errors during that period have put his place in the side firmly under the microscope.
Karius has featured in all four of the Reds’ pre-season games so far and has yet to concede a goal, while manager Jurgen Klopp has also taken the decision to sign 39-year-old Alex Manninger on a one-year deal to act as cover for the pair.
Mignolet is quoted by ESPN, saying: “It all comes down to how you deal with it yourself. The biggest challenge is the fight you have on your own. You have to look at yourself and make sure you give your best in training and in your performances. That is what I will keep doing.
“There is no point looking at somebody else. You have just got to make sure you do your job in the best possible way.”
The feeling is that Mignolet has a fight on his hands to remain as the club’s number one, as many are expecting Karius to be in goal for the opening day of the season when the Reds travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on 14 August.
Both goalkeepers are relatively young but at the age of 28, Mignolet will be keen to assert himself as the club’s number one; yet given that Liverpool made one of their transfer priorities this summer a goalkeeper, it shows that there are several question marks hanging over the suitability of the Belgian.
Whether Karius is the long-term solution remains to be seen, but he is only 23 and it is clear that he is going to be given a chance to prove himself in the years ahead.
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