“Growing whispers” inside Liverpool that Joel Matip could leave this summer

With his contract due to expire in the summer of 2024, Joel Matip is approaching a crossroads in his Liverpool career, with a reliable journalist claiming there are “growing whispers” that he could leave this summer.

Centre-back Matip was one of Jurgen Klopp‘s first signings at Liverpool, arriving on a free transfer from Schalke ahead of the 2016-17 season.

Despite a number of injury problems in his time at the club, Matip has played a key role in all of Liverpool’s success under Klopp, but is now one of a number of players facing a decision over his future.

GOAL‘s Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones says “there have been growing whispers from within the club that Matip may move on this summer,” rating his chances of leaving the club at the end of this season at six out of 10.

With 18 months left on his existing deal, the club must decide whether to offer Matip a new deal, sell this summer, or run the risk of losing him for free in 2024.

Liverpool are expected to make big changes to their playing squad this year, particularly in midfield, and Klopp must weigh up whether he can run the risk of losing Matip, one of his most reliable defenders, ahead of next season.

When fit and available, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk now look to be Liverpool’s first-choice centre-back pairing, with Joe Gomez a homegrown option.

With Nat Phillips likely to move on in the summer window, the Reds would surely need to have a replacement for Matip lined up if they were to allow him to leave.

One player who looks certain to move on at the end of the current campaign is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who Jones says “will not be offered a new deal,” rating his chances of an exit at 10 out of 10.

Naby Keita, who will also be out of contract, could also be on the move, with Jones claiming that “a number of German clubs have expressed an interest in signing the Guinean.”

All the signs point towards a summer of change at Anfield, but with so much upheaval in other areas of the team, it remains to be seen whether Klopp will be happy to allow Matip to leave, too.