Why Liverpool should keep hold of Joel Matip amidst PSG interest
French champions Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Liverpool star Joel Matip to replace Thiago Silva, according to Kick442 journalist Angu Lesley (h/t The Express).
Matip, 28, rose through the ranks of Schalke’s youth system and made over 250 appearances for the German outfit before joining the Reds in the summer of 2016. He immediately established himself in the starting XI and played a key role in Liverpool’s Champions League win last season.
However, he struggled with injuries and was on the sidelines for the majority of the 2019/20 season. And the report also suggests that the English champions are willing to let go of him in order to fund a move for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Reds, meanwhile, have managed to lift the Premier League title for the first time in the modern era, under the management of Jurgen Klopp. They have been brilliant throughout the campaign and are one of the most powerful teams in Europe.
However, they did lose to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this season and were knocked out of the competition. Thus, they should look to bring in reinforcements as they don’t have the required depth in several key areas.
Matip – A reliable centre-back for Liverpool
While bringing reinforcements is a necessity, they should also make sure that they keep hold of their best players. In that regard, Matip should not be allowed to leave. The Cameroonian was one of their best defenders alongside Virgil van Dijk before he got injured.
The £100k-a-week star’s absence was also felt in several games where they conceded, as Van Dijk has been the only player in form. Dejan Lovren was used as a back-up for Matip but the Croatian was not at his best. Moreover, he has left the club, leaving the Reds with one defender less.
Young Joe Gomez has been a regular since Matip’s absence but the Englishman has not been up to the mark. Liverpool struggled in several games, including the one against Watford where they lost 3-0 and the two games against Atletico Madrid where the Cameroonian was absent. Arsenal also beat them a few weeks back due to the Reds’ defensive errors and they also conceded 3 goals against Chelsea towards the end of the league campaign.
Thus, keeping hold of Matip would be a wise decision by the club. He has already formed a strong partnership with Van Dijk and the duo conceded fewer goals when they were at their best. The former Schalke man has already made over 400 career appearances and his experience could also come in handy for Klopp.
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Verdict
Liverpool have only three established centre-backs in their ranks at the moment. Though they have been linked with a move for Koulibaly in recent weeks, there has been no progress. Irrespective of that, Liverpool should hold onto Joel Matip.
