Liverpool could acquire an ideal successor for Joel Matip ‘worth £51m’ on Free Transfer
Liverpool defenders are aging and it might be just the right time for the Merseyside giants to get a Joel Matip successor.
Liverpool is in the race for a Matip successor
The Reds have been linked with a deal for Inter Milan defender Milan Kriniar, along with the other major six Premier League teams. He has yet to agree on a contract extension to his term, which ends next summer, according to a recent article from 90Min. Inter won’t want to lose him for free because he is the sixth most valued player in Serie A.
His appeal is certain to be great because his current contract expires at the conclusion of this season, but it is unclear if Liverpool will actually be interested. One position on the squad where they are well-represented is center back, however, it’s important to note that the four primary possibilities’ contracts all expire after 12 months.
The right pick?
Until the conclusion of the next season, Joel Matip is under contract. In addition to Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konaté recently signed a contract extension through 2027. Virgil van Dijk is committed to the team through the end of 2024–2025. Liverpool’s contract decisions in the center of the team have backfired because the team lacks peak-age midfielders and three players could leave for free in seven months. At the core of the defense, they cannot afford another repetition.
So even though it appears they don’t need another center back at the moment, they most likely will in the near future. But is Kriniar the best candidate for the position?
Milan Kriniar has made 172 Serie A matches for Inter without making a mistake that resulted in an opponent scoring. In his first five years in Milan, he made three leading shots, and three since the beginning of 2022/23, according to FBRef. From the standpoint of Liverpool, his performances last season against them in the Champions League were far more noteworthy. Then again, if Klopp approaches him, be sure he has done his homework.
