Former Cameroon defender Joel Matip, who made his first-team debut from the old Bundesliga side Schalke Youth and played 256 games for the club, joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016 without a contract renewal.
Although he had a tendency to get injured and missed many days of games, he has been on the pitch for more than “200” games as a partner of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk.
This season, he has been competing with French defender Ibrahima Konate for a place in the team. He recently suffered a regrettable injury and is expected to be out for some time.
He may stay at Anfield next season, with a strong possibility of leaving Liverpool with his current contract that runs until June 2024. According to Football Insider, manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to renew the player’s contract and wants him to stay.
Liverpool is looking for a new left-handed center back as 20-year-old defender Jarell Quansah is having a breakthrough season. If Matip also stays, there could be a scenario where Liverpool will have six center backs alone next season.
At this point, we don’t know which way it will swing. However, he is currently second or third in the pecking order, and is the mainstay of the team. He is more consistent than former Charlton defender Joe Gomez, and although he will be 33 years old next August, he is a good asset to the team.
Will the former Schalke center back still be playing at Anfield beyond next summer?