Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is reportedly pushing the Reds’ hierarchy to hand veteran defender Joel Matip a new contract despite him suffering a likely season-ending ACL rupture.
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke (via Football Insider), Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp wants defender Joel Matip to continue his Anfield career and is keen to offer him a contract extension despite Liverpool’s plans to add a new senior centre-back next summer.
The 32-year-old defender will miss the rest of the season after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament in last week’s dramatic 4-3 win over Fulham and will soon undergo surgery on his injury.
Matip, who will be 33 years old when the 2024–25 campaign kicks off, is due to be a free agent in the summer, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will don the Liverpool red again given that he will not return to fitness until after his contract has expired.
That prognosis has fuelled speculation that Klopp could attempt to sign a replacement in January, given that Liverpool are back in Premier League title contention this term. As per Football Insider, the Reds are still keen to sign a new defender to Anfield long-term, with Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio and Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi high on their radar.
However, Klopp seemed to rule out the prospect of dipping into the transfer market for a defender in January in the pre-match presser ahead of this weekend’s match against Crystal Palace.
With Matip out, Klopp still has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Jarell Quansah as senior centre-back options, and unless any of the aforementioned names pick up significant injuries, a central defensive reinforcement could wait until next summer.
Klopp is also keen for Matip to be signed up to a short-term deal at the very least, and he is insisting the club take a similar approach despite his advancing years.
The long-serving defender has made 14 appearances in all competitions so far in the 2023–24 campaign. The ex-Cameroonian international will be pushed down the pecking order if another defensive option arrives through the door and will be forced to take a backup role as part of any new contract.
Some Reds supporters may be surprised by this development, but it’s understood that Klopp is a “huge admirer” of Matip’s reliable presence on the pitch and leadership role in the dressing room.
