Loris Karius decided against taking the advice of his heavily pregnant partner by signing a new contract with Newcastle United. The German stopper will remain on Tyneside for a further year after his extension was announced over the weekend.
Karius has only featured competitively once for Newcastle, replacing Nick Pope for the Carabao Cup final in February, and as such speculation has been rife that he will seek first-team minutes elsewhere after filling a gap in Eddie Howe's squad.
His partner, Italian sports presenter Diletta Leotta, certainly thought Karius could move to one of Europe's top leagues this summer. Leotta admitted as much when explaining how it would be beneficial to have the 30-year-old closer to her in Italy.
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“Selfishly yes, but, at the same time, I wish him the best in his career," she said earlier this year when asked if she wanted Karius to move to Serie A. "We're talking about a boy who has always known how to get back up.
“I don't deny that it would be nice to see him play near me, perhaps around Milan or in Lombardy or in Liguria. It would be much more comfortable than in Newcastle."
Karius has instead decided life on Tyneside isn't too bad and will remain a part of Howe's goalkeeping department for the coming season. "The mission goes on, happy to be a part of it," was his Instagram message after putting pen to paper.
That means, as it stands, Howe still has five goalkeepers on the books at Newcastle. Karius, Pope, Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie. Karius' stay opens the door for one, or even two, fellow keepers to depart.
Darlow is the closest to the door at present with a handful of Championship clubs ready to secure his signature. The shot-stopper spent the second-half of last season on loan with Hull City, who have pushed hard ever since to make the switch permanent. Should Darlow fancy a stay closer to home, Middlesbrough have also registered an interest in recent weeks.
Gillespie penned a new one-year extension earlier in the summer, which just leaves Dubravka as questions linger over his future. The Slovakian was quick to jump ship last summer following Pope's arrival but has since told Chronicle Live he wants to stay at Newcastle.
With Howe's men fighting on four fronts next season, depth is crucial and there may be significantly more opportunities for Dubravka in between the sticks. Should he stay put, he will be Howe's number two and the man taking Pope's place should he get injured or suspended.
