Joel Matip – Schalke
The Echo reports that the Cameroonian centre-back Matip, who’s only 23, would be available for a bargain £10m due to his contract expiring in 2016.
Although our defence was criticised regularly at times in 2014/15, it’s our lack of potency up top that saw the campaign fizzle into nothingness. Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren (who will improve) are three decent options for a back-four – while Tiago Ilori is returning from a loan spell, and Sebastien Coates even did well towards the end of Sunderland’s campaign.
Not a priority, for us.
