Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is reportedly eyeing a savvy free transfer for ex-Liverpool defensive ace Joel Matip. The centre-back is up for grabs after Liverpool opted not to renew his contract, prompting his exit from Anfield at the end of June.
Matip joined Liverpool from Schalke 04 in 2016. He had an impressive eight-year stint with the Reds, where his defensive skill was evident.
Alonso is looking to strengthen his defensive lineup with experienced players to support the young talents in his squad.
This move is particularly timely as Bayern Munich and Manchester United have shown significant interest in signing Leverkusen’s defender Jonathan Tah.
Acquiring Matip on a free transfer would be an ideal solution for Leverkusen, providing a seasoned replacement for the potential loss of Tah.
Klopp is All Praise for Matip
Before he departed Liverpool at the end of last season, Klopp issued praise for Matip as one of the Reds unsung heroes. Klopp said,
“In all the years that I have been involved in football, I am not sure I have come across too many players who are more loved than Joel Matip.
I’m not even sure it would be possible to say anything bad about him.
A wonderful professional, a wonderful footballer and a wonderful human being – we have been blessed to have him with us for as long as we have and now all we can do is wish him well as he heads off in a new direction.
Joel’s qualities as a player are there for all to see and as a club, we have benefited from them since the first moment that he joined.
I don’t think he has had too many headlines over the years but he has only ever been a very famous figure within our group.
I have said before that if there was one person who wouldn’t care if he was underrated it would be Joel, but the truth is we could not have rated him more highly.
Not only has he set the standards for himself, he has set them for others and this is one of the main reasons why his time here has been so successful.”
Joel Matip Set to Join Leverkusen
Leverkusen are quite active in the transfer market, signing 19-year-old centre-back Jeanuël Belocian from Stade Rennais and welcoming back on-loan defender Sadik Fofana.
They decided not to pursue an offer for Josip Stanisic, allowing him to return to Bayern Munich.
Sky Germany reports that Matip is ready to join Bayer Leverkusen, with the Bundesliga champion viewing the 32-year-old as a potential replacement for Jonathan Tah.
During his time at Liverpool, Matip has the freedom to choose his next club, and Leverkusen have made contact, hoping to bring him back to the Bundesliga, where he started his career.
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