James Pearce has explained that Liverpool expect Joel Matip to remain at Anfield this summer despite him approaching the final 12 months of his current deal and that the Reds will only sign a new central defender if the ‘right one is out there’.
Ibou Konate is Jurgen Klopp’s first choice option to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of his defence with Matip and Joe Gomez struggling for regular game time during the second half of the campaign.
Our No. 32 featured in just three of our final 11 games of the season while Gomez played just once in the same period and Pearce therefore believes it would make sense to sign a ‘young, athletic, dynamic centre half’.
“The way it was explained to me was that it’s about planning where they don’t feel as if there’s like an absolutely acute need now to go out and buy a frontline centre-half,” The Athletic writer told Redmen TV.
“If the right one is out there, then they would do it as part of long-term succession planning on the basis that as things stand, they expect Matip to see out the final year of his contract.
“As it stands at the moment, Liverpool are not actively looking to shift him on, and he hasn’t told Liverpool that he that he wants to go.
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“I just think they do need another young, athletic, dynamic centre half who can at least come close to giving you what Konaté gives you in terms of his physicality.
“I don’t think there are any real concrete names out there that I could say to you, ‘Yeah, he is 100% someone under serious consideration.’”
Strengthening our midfield is the priority this summer but we certainly wouldn’t be against the idea of signing a new defender.
Van Dijk and Matip are now the wrong side of 30 while both Gomez and Konate have struggled with numerous injuries during their time on Merseyside.
Keeping our No. 5 fit is imperative because he’s looked the real deal when in the side and it would therefore make sense to sign a young yet quality option for him to form a long-term partnership alongside.
Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed that RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol is ‘way too expensive’ for Liverpool this summer but the Reds are believed to remain interested in signing a left-sided defensive option.
It remains to be seen what further business we complete this summer but we have faith in Klopp and Co. to get the right deals over the line.
Klopp and didn’t get it right last season In fact it was a mess of bad decisions. The season rason before last was also a mess.
So why do you trust them to get it right?