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LONDON. — Liverpool signed Germany Under-21 goalkeeper Loris Karius from Mainz on Tuesday for a fee reported to be £4.7 million. Karius agreed a five-year contract with the English Premier League soccer club and is expected to provide strong competition for Liverpool’s current first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

The 22-year-old has taken the number one shirt with the approval of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, while the error-prone Mignolet currently wears number 22.

Karius, who was in Manchester City’s youth academy for two years before returning to Germany in 2011, will provide much-needed competition for Belgium international Mignolet, whose position has not been threatened since arriving three years ago despite a number of unconvincing performances.

After making 34 Bundesliga appearances last season, keeping nine clean-sheets to help Mainz to a sixth-place finish, Karius was convinced to join Liverpool after speaking to fellow German Klopp. — AFP.