The Newcastle paradox: they are the richest team in the world but… buy Karius!

Money matters, but the blazon has its effect and the champions, at least at the moment, have no intention of going to play at St James’ Park. And so the richest club in the world finds itself buying … Loris Karius as twelfth.

Unsurprisingly, the arrival of the very rich new Saudi property has revolutionized Newcastle’s recent history. The Juventus club was taken over at the end of 2021 by the Public Investment Fund, one of the most important sovereign funds in the world, linked to the government of Saudi Arabia. And if perhaps even in football money does not bring happiness, they certainly help to build competitive teams. It would be enough to think that before the market session in January 2022 the Magpies were in the relegation zone in the Premier League but with a couple of purchases they saved themselves in peace. And in the summer came other important expenses, such as 70 million at Real Sociedad for Aleksander Isak and 37 at Lille for Sven Botman.

Important names, but still none of stars. Because money matters, but the coat of arms has its effect and the champions, at least at the moment, have no intention of going to play at St James’ Park just because the Saudis could cover them with gold. Therefore, at least particular paradoxes arrive, such as the one for which the richest club in the world finds itself buying … Loris Karius. Yes, he himself, the goalkeeper who, despite not having finished his career yet, has already gone down in history and certainly not in a positive way. The German was in fact the absolute protagonist of the 2018 Champions League final played by Liverpool. In Kiev, two of his ducks paved the way for Zidane’s Real Madrid third consecutive success.

After that nightmare night, Karius tried to recover his career by going on loan, first to Besiktas and then to Union Berlin, but without success. Eventually he returned to Liverpool, where he waited for his contract to end to get back in the game elsewhere. And now, as he reports SkyDeutschland, the opportunity has come. Newcastle need a twelfth to cover Nick Pope’s back after reserve goalkeeper Karl Darlow’s ankle injury. And among the freezers there was the German, who has already flown to Tyneside for medical examinations. Not exactly what was expected, neither for him nor for Newcastle. But the transfer market … also makes these chips.