Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 6y

Jurgen Klopp unimpressed with Simon Mignolet discussing Liverpool problems in public

LIVERPOOL -- Jurgen Klopp has said he would prefer Simon Mignolet to air his frustrations at him rather than the media after the Liverpool goalkeeper questioned the decision to not allow him to leave the club this summer.

Mignolet recently told Belgian media that he found it "bizarre" Loris Karius had been allowed to join Besiktas on a two-year loan earlier this month when Liverpool had turned down loan approaches for the 30-year-old.

Klopp confirmed Mignolet would not be leaving prior to the European transfer deadline and that he will spend the 2018-19 season as deputy to Alisson.

"It is true he will not depart, of course not," Klopp told a news conference on Friday. "In general discussing your individual problems in public does not make too much sense, it is better to speak to each other, I'm a big believer in that.

"But it was still OK. It is the one time, we are all human beings and I have no problem with that, and if he was happy to be a No. 2 then I wouldn't really know him.

"He is a top professional, a top goalkeeper and of course he is not happy to be No. 2 but at the end there are worse things in the world than being No. 2 -- pretty good pay by the way at Liverpool.

"In the first moment you understand decisions or not but it is always better to talk to me directly about it than newspapers.

"Matt [McCann, Liverpool's head of press] told me -- usually I would not even be aware of it.

"It makes not too much sense, if you want to say something to me say it directly -- that helps."

Sources have told ESPN FC that, earlier in the summer, Mignolet failed to agree personal terms with Fulham, which led to the newly promoted Premier League side signing Fabri from Besiktas.

As a result, Besiktas then lodged an loan offer for Mignolet, which was rejected by Liverpool, who were only willing to sanction a permanent departure. The Turkish side then turned their attention towards Karius.

Mignolet did draw interest from Napoli and favoured a move to Italy, but sources say Liverpool never received an offer from the Serie A side, who were reluctant to meet Liverpool's asking price and then give Mignolet a long-term contract.

He has been on the substitutes' bench for Liverpool's last two matches, with Alisson yet to concede a goal since his arrival from Roma.

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