Joel Matip – The Empire of The Kop

(Video) Klopp rules loyal servant out for rest of the season despite fitness boost

Peter Kenny Jones — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 15:56:52 +0000

It seems like most of each press conference led by Jurgen Klopp is dominated with injury updates and that was the case ahead of Sheffield United.

The German spoke about Joel Matip is his most recent appearance: “Joel [is] running – he hates that! But he is able to run again, so that’s good.

“I think since he got injured this is the best moment because it was very painful in the beginning, very painful for him [but] he got through that and now he is pain-free. But, that now all takes time so I don’t think the season is long enough for him.”

It’s nice to hear that the lovable defender is pain-free and that he’s back running on the grass already, even though we won’t see him play under the boss again.

Our No.32’s future at Anfield will certainly be questioned this summer and let’s just hope he gets the chance for a proper goodbye too.

You can watch Klopp’s update on Matip (from 16:06) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Liverpool player’s exit could be drawing near amid ‘increasing noise’ over his future – report

Liam Togher — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:59:48 +0000

One of Liverpool’s longest-serving players could sadly be approaching the end of his time at Anfield, according to reports.

The Daily Mail claimed that ‘there is increasing noise’ that Joel Matip ‘might have played his last game for the club’, with the 32-year-old’s contract expiring in June and the defender set to miss the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.

Although ‘no final decision has been made ‘on his future, and Jurgen Klopp has spoken of trying to convince the club’s powerbrokers to offer a new deal, the Cameroonian could part ways with the Reds in the coming months, especially after the emergence of Jarell Quansah this term.

It’d be a crying shame if Matip’s Liverpool career were to end on the low of him rupturing his ACL against Fulham in early December, thus precluding him from taking any further part in Klopp’s final season at Anfield.

However, there’s rarely a place for sentiment in football, and the returning Michael Edwards may well decide that it’d make little sense to offer a new contract to a player who turns 33 in August and is in the midst of a long-term injury, along with earning £100,000 per week (Capology).

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Quansah’s emergence, along with transfer links to other centre-backs such as Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, would suggest that the Reds’ hierarchy may already be looking towards life after the Cameroonian, who’s the squad’s second longest-serving player after Joe Gomez.

As much as some fans would dearly love to see Matip being offered even a one-year extension so that his last Liverpool game won’t be the one in which he ruptured his ACL, it’d be no surprise if he were to move on in the summer.

In that case, let’s keep hoping for a miracle which’d enable the 32-year-old to make one or two final appearances for the Reds before the season is out.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards and a multi-club model, Alonso’s Liverpool-esque moment, how Reds must respond to United setback and much more!

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Liverpool could repeat Joel Matip coup with potential swoop for ‘special’ ex-Man City powerhouse

Liam Togher — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:16:36 +0000

Liverpool are reportedly seeking a potential free transfer swoop for a former Manchester City player this summer.

According to Football Insider, the Reds are keen on a possible deal for Tosin Adarabioyo, who’s set to become a free agent at the end of this season when his contract at Fulham expires.

The 26-year-old is a man in demand, with Tottenham and several Serie A clubs also having eyes on potentially picking up the defender for a song. He’s believed to be intent on keeping his options open until the campaign reaches its conclusion.

Adarabioyo only made eight senior appearances for Man City but has become a Premier League mainstay with Fulham, whose manager Marco Silva described him as a ‘special player‘ earlier this season.

The 26-year-old was outstanding when the Cottagers drew with Liverpool in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final in January, winning 11 duels and four tackles in west London that night (Sofascore).

It seems surprising that his club haven’t yet secured his future, and if the Reds were to pounce, it’d have strong echoes of their 2016 coup for Joel Matip.

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The Cameroonian centre-back was also in his mid-20s when Jurgen Klopp snapped him up on a free transfer after his contract at Schalke 04 expired, and it’s ironic that Adarabioyo could take the 32-year-old’s place at Anfield if the latter departs as a free agent this summer.

Matip is currently sidelined with a long-term injury and turns 33 in August, so it’s quite possible that Liverpool will let him go in the summer. However, in the towering Fulham defender, they could have an instant replacement who’d arrive at Anfield in similar circumstances to the ex-Cameroon international.

Even with the emergence of Jarell Quansah nicely bolstering our centre-back options, a free transfer swoop for Adarabioyo would make plenty of sense.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards’ future, Liverpool contract latest, Musiala to Anfield and much more!

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Mo Salah shares Instagram footage of injured Liverpool teammate with 5-word message

Liam Togher — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:25:00 +0000

Mo Salah has shared footage on social media of one of his injured Liverpool teammates, along with a pointed five-word message.

While the Egyptian King has recently returned from a muscle injury, we mightn’t see Joel Matip for the rest of the season (or possibly ever in a red shirt again, with his contract expiring in June) as he continues his recovery from an ACL rupture three months ago.

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However, the Cameroonian defender is determined to do his utmost to possibly enjoy one or two outings before the campaign ends, as we’ve seen from a clip shared by the Reds’ number 11.

Salah took to Instagram to post a short video to his story featuring Matip doing some strength and conditioning work on his right leg, along with the caption: ‘The legend is always working’.

What strikes us from Salah’s caption on the Instagram post is how highly he regards the 32-year-old and how hard the centre-back works behind the scenes in order to try and maintain peak fitness.

It would’ve come as a huge personal blow for Matip to have incurred an ACL injury midway through what could be his final season at Liverpool, unless the club were to offer him a contract extension.

Alas, that seems unlikely, given that Michael Edwards could be set to return to the club, and he’s previously shown a reluctance to hand new long-term deals to players aged 30+.

Here’s hoping we might see the Cameroonian one last time at Anfield before the campaign ends, even if it’s only to say a public farewell to the fans at the final home game of 2023/24…or possibly to join in the Premier League title celebrations, if we get the dream scenario.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Michael Edwards’ future, Liverpool contract latest, Musiala to Anfield and much more!

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(Video) Liverpool fans will love interaction between Szoboszlai and Matip during Southampton game

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:48:48 +0000

Although the Liverpool squad is currently ravaged by injuries, it doesn’t mean all the stricken players are downbeat and that’s clear with a recent clip with Dominik Szoboszlai and Joel Matip.

Ahead of the second half against Southampton, the pair can be seen leaving the dressing room and sharing a joke, before returning to their seats for the game.

This is testament to the current morale at the moment, with even those missing out on our current on-field heroics being able to enjoy the ride.

Let’s hope as many of them as possible are back quickly though!

You can watch the interaction between Szoboszlai and Matip (from 6:45) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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(Video) Missing Liverpool defender spotted in training video; Van Dijk delighted to see him

Peter Kenny Jones — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:14:21 +0000

Liverpool have a squad of amazing players and one that is full of healthy competition, meaning some can go missing from the first-team for long periods of time.

In a recent video shared on the club’s social media, we can see Joel Matip – who hasn’t been spotted since early December when he picked up a serious knee injury against Fulham.

The centre-back looked like he’d been undergoing some rehab and his beard that has been grown since his injury perhaps gives an insight to the torment that missing so much football can cause.

At least Virgil van Dijk looked happy to see his mate though and let’s hope they can be reunited on the pitch one day.

You can view the video of Matip and Van Dijk via @LFC on X:

Good morning pic.twitter.com/8T7w6S7UMZ

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 8, 2024

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Liverpool have eyes on ‘amazing’ £60m brute as Anfield stalwart’s long-term successor – report

Liam Togher — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:55:19 +0000

Liverpool reportedly have their sights set on a Premier League player to replace one long-serving member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

According to The Mirror, the Reds have placed Marc Guehi at the top of their wish list to be Joel Matip’s long-term successor at Anfield.

The 32-year-old Cameroonian will be out of contract in the summer, so this could be the last of his eight seasons with LFC unless he’s offered new terms – a possibility the manager hasn’t discounted.

Nonetheless, Liverpool would ‘like’ to replace him with the Crystal Palace defender in the long run, although a move for the England international would probably have to wait until the summer unless a ‘silly-money offer’ is tabled in the final week of the January transfer window.

Guehi has attracted rave reviews over the past 12 months, being dubbed ‘amazing’ by England colleague Harry Maguire (BBC Sport) and becoming such an important player for Palace that they’ve valued him at a minimum of £60m (Football Insider).

It’s a figure which might make Liverpool baulk, especially considering that, across a range of core performance metrics as evaluated by FBref, he ranks in the 60th percentile or lower in comparison to positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues over the past 12 months.

The 23-year-old had a decent if unspectacular game when he faced the Reds last month, contributing four clearances and two tackles, along with winning three of his five duels, but completing only 13 passes throughout the entire match (Sofascore).

Guehi has been linked with a possible move to Anfield in recent times with nothing coming to fruition, but he might be sought with greater ferocity if Matip’s contract isn’t extended this summer.

It could be worth keeping an eye on the Palace defender in the meantime to see if he’d be an ideal fit for Liverpool, even if it’d likely require a sizeable transfer offer to lure him from Selhurst Park.

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Steven Gerrard eyes another Liverpool transfer coup; wants new players in January and the summer – report

Peter Kenny Jones — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:41:32 +0000

Despite the fact that Jordan Henderson already looks to be setting his sights on pastures new, his move from Liverpool to join Steven Gerrard may well not be the first and only time this happens.

As reported by Ben Jacobs for talkSPORT: ‘Last summer Joel Matip was a serious target for Ettifaq, and remains appreciated…

‘Ettifaq want to sign four to five players from the local market now and add three to four further names this summer.’

The name of Ettifaq was one that most of our supporters had never heard of before last summer but just a matter of months on, they’re certainly on our radar.

Our connection with the club is hard to ignore, with two former captains holding key roles, a host of former staff members working for the Saudi Pro League side and even Gini Wijnaldum also being part of the playing squad.

However, with the side sat in eighth place and without a win in nine games, the Scouser at the helm is under pressure and may well have to enter the transfer market again.

Joel Matip’s injury he sustained against Fulham means that he will likely not take to the field again this season and, with his contract set to end in the summer, he may not play for the Reds again.

If a lucrative offer for his services was to come in, then our No.32 may well be happy to take what could be a final pay day in the sun.

Although we’d all like to see the 32-year-old given the chance to say goodbye, this move does make sense and so the club will have a decision to make as to whether we offer a new contract and complete the defender’s rehab or allow him to leave at the end of the season on a free.

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January solutions Liverpool could explore as Matip injury forces rethink

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 15:07:28 +0000

News coming out of Anfield confirming that Joel Matip’s ACL injury will keep him out of action for the remainder of the season will have hurt this Liverpool squad.

The Cameroonian was in truly fine form up until his issue earlier in the month, having nailed down a place as Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice defensive partner.

With the Reds’ centre-back options looking a little too slim for many a fan’s liking, we’ve looked at what corrective action Jurgen Klopp’s men could take.

Centre-back recall

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail reports that the Reds’ decision-makers are set to ‘take stock’ in January and may recall on-loan defender Rhys Williams to fill a gap.

One might Nathaniel Phillips, currently plying his trade in the Scottish top-flight with Celtic, might also be a suitable candidate.

Nathaniel Phillips in action for Celtic – (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The latter of the two would perhaps be the more fitting option to recall having played 404 minutes of football for Brendan Rodgers’ men compared to the former’s sole 90-minute showing in the Challenge Cup.

Dive into the transfer market

We’ve recently seen links to Lille’s Leny Yoro (ESPN), which (at the very least conceptually) would make a certain amount of sense.

The centre-back fits the age profile (18) you’d expect our recruitment team to be considering and has been a key part of the French outfit’s backline this term.

Statistically, he’s far from poor, sitting in the 92nd percentile of centre-backs for pass completion and the 71st percentile for interceptions, according to FBref.

Don’t get us wrong, Liverpool would be signing a raw talent – but isn’t that along the lines of what we were looking for in the summer?

Trust in the available options

Jurgen Klopp’s recent use of Joe Gomez as an auxiliary right-back does complicate matters somewhat when it comes to the heart of the backline.

Handing the role over to Conor Bradley (20), a raw but talented young player, to whom the right-back role is comparatively more natural could offer a left-of-field solution to the current problem.

Could Conor Bradley be Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ideal understudy? – (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Between Jarell Quansah (20), his fellow Englishman and Ibrahima Konate, we might be able to hold on until the end of the season.

But boy would that represent one hell of a risk. Indeed, it begs the question: is it a risk worth taking with Liverpool now surprise title contenders?

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Journo believes Klopp was ‘putting some pressure on the club’ with some of his recent comments

Max Rudd — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:55:06 +0000

Neil Jones believes Jurgen Klopp was ‘putting some pressure on the club’ recently in regards to Joel Matip’s Liverpool future.

The Cameroonian, who joined the club as a free agent from Schalke in 2016, ruptured his ACL against Fulham at the start of the month which could potentially rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.

The 32-year-old is out of contract in the summer but Jones believes our German tactician is wanting to extend the central defender’s stay on Merseyside beyond the end of the season.

“I think what would be the likeliest scenario is Liverpool would give him another year on top of his current contract – I’m guessing either on reduced terms or based on his performance levels,” the journalist told EOTK Insider. “If you use Virgil van Dijk’s prior ACL injury for comparison, you’re probably saying that Joel Matip won’t be back for training until the start of the next campaign and then you still need a but of time to get ready for first-team football again. So you could be looking at the back-end of 2024.

“I think the likeliest scenario is Liverpool extend Matip’s contract, or offer one at least that takes him through his rehab to the end of next season.

“It certainly sounds like Klopp was putting some pressure on the club to look after a player who has spent seven years at the club. Whilst he may not be one of the icons or starts of Liverpool’s success in that period, he’s tended to be one the club’s better players when fit. He’s part of the Champions League final, part of the title-winning side, started domestic cup finals; he’s more than played his part. Some say sentiment is dead in football, but I think there are some clubs and some players where it isn’t, and I think Liverpool and Joel Matip might be in that bracket.”

During Friday’s press conference prior to our 2-1 defeat of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Klopp was quizzed on whether our No. 32 would be offered a new deal despite his injury blow. Our German tactician claimed he’s ‘pretty sure the club will show their class’.

“I would say so but it’s not my decision in the end – I cannot sign the papers,” he said (as quoted by The Guardian). “I am pretty sure the club will show their class, just how they should do it. I am pretty sure the club told Joel already that whatever happens as long as he is injured everything is fine. Then we have to make a decision together with Joel how it looks after that. He deserves all the support from us and he will get it.”

Liverpool owners FSG don’t tend to offer long-term deals to players the wrong side of 30, despite Mo Salah being the most notable exception to this, so you could argue it would be a surprise to see Matip offer a new contract.

He’s certainly done enough to warrant a fresh deal, however, but it remains to be seen what will happen nearer the time.

The Anfield outfit are being linked with a number of defensive reinforcements in January (90min) so perhaps the business we complete in the new year could affect the Cameroonian’s Liverpool future.

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Klopp teases possibility of new contract for £100k-p/w Liverpool colossus – with one caveat

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:49:21 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has teased the possibility of one Liverpool player being given a new contract over the next six months, although he was keen to stress that the final decision would be out of his hands.

As it stands, the Reds have three senior players whose deals will expire next June – Adrian, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip (Transfermarkt).

The latter has seen his season ended prematurely by an anterior cruciate ligament injury this week, prompting fears that he may have already played the last of his 201 games for the club, but LFC mightn’t yet be ready to send him on his way elsewhere in 2024.

During his press conference on Friday, Klopp was asked if there was any chance of Liverpool handing a contract extension to the centre-back in the wake of his major setback in recent days, with the manager replying (via Liverpool Echo): “I would say so but it’s not my decision.”

The Liverpool hierarchy were either pragmatic or ruthless (depending on your point of view) in allowing four players to depart at the end of their contracts last summer, with Bobby Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all moving on.

It remains to be seen if they’ll take a similar stance with the trio who are due to become free agents in six months’ time, but Matip may stand the best chance of those three to be given new terms despite his ACL agony.

Adrian is now only third in the goalkeeping pecking order, while the £200,000-per-week Thiago hasn’t played in nearly eight months, so it’d be no great surprise if either of those were to depart at the end of this season.

By contrast, Matip had been a regular starter during the current campaign until his fateful injury blow, and his weekly wage is only half that of the Spanish midfielder (Capology).

Earlier today, Klopp appeared to downplay the likelihood of Liverpool signing a centre-back in January, which might suggest that he’d be happy to give the Cameroon international time to recover so that his time at Anfield isn’t brought to a shuddering halt.

The picture could obviously change between now and the end of the 32-year-old’s current deal, but it seems clear that the manager is leaning towards advocating for the defender to be kept on for another season at least.

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‘Tell me one…’ – Jurgen Klopp gives emphatic response to Liverpool January transfer question

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 11:52:09 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that any new signing Liverpool make in January ‘must be the right player’ for his squad.

It was put to him in Friday’s press conference ahead of the Crystal Palace match tomorrow whether the Reds would seek to bring in a centre-back in next month’s transfer window following the loss of Joel Matip to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 56-year-old insisted that signing players isn’t as simple a process as cherry-picking them from other clubs at will, adding that he’s content with his depth in central defence so long as there are no further casualties.

Klopp stated (via Liverpool Echo): “You always talk about transfers like it is the easiest thing in the world. They all cost money. It must be the right player. We still have four centre-backs. Tell me a club which wants to sell a top, top centre-half. Tell me one.

“Is it now perfect? As long as we can go with those four [centre-backs], yes. If not, then it will be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up. It was never wonderland when you bring a world-class centre-back until the other one is fit again.

“As long as other clubs don’t put them under the Christmas tree for us and say ‘Take it and use it for as long as you need it’, I didn’t really think about it yet because it was only five days since we had that problem. I don’t think so, to be honest.”

On one level, it’s understandable that Klopp might want to be non-committal on the topic of January signings for specific positions – in public, at least – so as not to undermine the relevant players in his current Liverpool squad.

On another, Reds fans can justifiably feel that a new centre-back may be needed next month, particularly if we were to be shorn of any further options in that area of the pitch. Considering the injury records of Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, it’s far from implausible that either or both could join Matip in the treatment room.

It was only on Wednesday night that news of the Cameroonian’s ACL agony was revealed, but LFC have already been linked with a couple of central defenders since then, with The Mirror indicating that Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi are both on the radar at Anfield.

Klopp is right in highlighting that completing transfers in real life is nowhere near as straightforward as simply picking one and saying ‘let’s do it’, as one might do in a computer game.

However, privately he may be in Jorg Schmadtke’s ear to prioritise the search for centre-backs recruits when the opportunity presents itself in January. Liverpool can’t afford to be blasé when it comes to squad depth this season, especially considering how many players are already sidelined.

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Liverpool’s January transfer plans may have changed after ‘very unfortunate’ curveball – report

Liam Togher — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 15:14:39 +0000

Liverpool’s plans for the January transfer window may need to be altered following a curveball that Jurgen Klopp described as ‘very unfortunate’.

According to the Daily Mail, the Reds could be forced into the market for a centre-back next month after Joel Matip ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury which seems likely to have already ended his season as he’ll require surgery.

That major body blow has suddenly left LFC with little scope for manoeuvre when it comes to their options in that part of the pitch, which in turn could force their hand for the mid-season transfer window.

Matip’s injury leaves Liverpool with four centre-backs in their current senior squad – Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah.

It’s far from a threadbare selection, thankfully, but the 26-year-old is frequently asked to deputise at right-back or – as we saw at Bramall Lane last night -sometimes on the left. Meanwhile, the latter is still only 20 and navigating his first campaign of senior football.

The Reds will have FA Cup and Europa League commitments in 2024, as well as a possible run to the Carabao Cup final, so squad depth is likely to be tested rigorously between now and the end of the season.

Liverpool are already paying the price for a heavy fixture schedule, with Matip, Alexis Mac Allister, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota all suffering knocks of varying severity since the Manchester City game just 12 days ago.

There’s still plenty more football to be played this month, and the composition of the squad following those games could also shape Klopp’s transfer plans for January, but as things stand it’d be no surprise if the Anfield hierarchy step up their search for potential centre-back recruits in the coming weeks.

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What Virgil van Dijk said to Joe Gomez immediately after hearing Joel Matip injury news

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:12:39 +0000

Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have both had experience with ACL injuries during their time with Liverpool and could help guide Joel Matip through what will be a difficult period of time.

The Cameroonian was taken off the field of play during the Reds’ 4-3 victory over Fulham with what Jurgen Klopp suspected at the time to be a serious injury.

The Dutchman told reporters that he had spoken to Joe Gomez as soon as the news came through about the severity of the injury.

“I spoke to Joe Gomez about it after we got the news. Me and Joey can relate. We know what he will go through and what his family will go through,” the former Southampton man told The Athletic. “It’s not easy. But he will get all the support from us as a team — that’s the least we can do and we will do.”

The 32-year-old will, sadly, be ruled out for the rest of the season, with questions ongoing over how the club will handle his expiring contract.

A tough road ahead for Joel Matip

One can only begin to imagine how distraught the former Schalke man must be feeling at a time when he had been enjoying a stellar campaign.

A difficult period of recovery lies ahead for Joel Matip – (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

It’s a big loss for Liverpool and only further highlights the need for defensive reinforcements.

Fortunately, we can rest assured in the knowledge that Matip will have close friends nearby who can support him through this difficult period.

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Liverpool player’s Anfield career may now be over after news emerging from Bramall Lane

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 10:40:41 +0000

Jurgen Klopp told reporters in South Yorkshire that Joel Matip’s injury was a ruptured ACL after the defender went off injured during Liverpool’s win over Fulham at the weekend (liverpoolfc.com).

The Cameroonian now looks set to miss out on the rest of the 2023/24 campaign, potentially signalling the end of his Anfield career.

The former Schalke defender’s contract is set to expire in the coming summer.

Could Matip be offered a contract extension?

After enjoying such a superb start to the campaign and strong partnership with Virgil van Dijk, it would be a huge shame for the Fulham win to be his final game in the famous red shirt.

At 32 years of age, you could certainly argue that he has more to offer the side for at least another year.

What next for Joel Matip? – (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Which is why it’s not surprising Football Insider has reported that the player’s manager wants to get him on fresh terms.

Food for thought for a centre-back who may need to accepted a backup role in the side should Liverpool recruit another defender either in January or the summer window.

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