Liverpool are looking to enter the Bosman transfer market again, having acquired James Milner and Danny Ings last summer without a transfer fee.
According to reputable reports in the Times, backed up Paul Joyce in the Express, Jurgen Klopp has sounded out a move for Schalke’s Cameroonian defender Joel Matip.
The 24-year-old’s out of contract in the summer, meaning we can freely approach him come January 1st with a view to him signing a Bosman deal and transferring to Liverpool next June.
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Matip is comfortable either at centre-half or in holding midfield. Klopp knows him well from his time in the Bundesliga, where he would have seen the African blossom at Borussia Dortmund’s rivals Schalke.
Matip’s strong, composed on the ball and offers a real goalscoring threat (he’s scored 16 Bundesliga goals in total), and at 6ft. 4″, his height would aid us at set-pieces.
If we could secure Matip on a free transfer it should be considered a no-brainer. He’ll immediately offer direct competition for a starting spot at the heart of defence, while he could also earn a place in the side as an anchorman.