Liverpool backed to sign Joel Matip upgrade

Liverpool should be looking to sign an upgrade on defender Joel Matip during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Matip in poor form

The Reds have been in shocking form for much of this season, with some of the performances since the 2022 World Cup arguably even worse than before it, when many thought the break would serve the squad well.

Plenty of individuals have struggled for Liverpool throughout the campaign and Matip has been one of them, looking like a shadow of his former self at centre-back.

The 31-year-old came back into the team for the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace but only because of an injury to Joe Gomez, and he made no tackles or interceptions at Selhurst Park.

The Latest: Liverpool backed to sign upgrade

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor claimed that Liverpool should look to offload Matip this summer and bring in a superior option:

“I think players like Matip are areas where Liverpool now need to look at upgrading by being brave. They need to be ballsy and say, okay Matip has been brilliant for us, but ultimately he’s underperforming at the moment.

“And that’s an area where we can bring in more quality.”

The Verdict: One more year?

Matip’s form has been really poor too often this season, and at 31, there is certainly an argument to say that his best days are now officially behind him, having once been hailed as ‘world-class’ by Jurgen Klopp.

That being said, the £100,000-a-week defender hasn’t become an awful player overnight and he is part of a team with no confidence, so writing him off completely could be a bit premature.

There is no question that Ibrahima Konate should now be Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice centre-back partner moving forward, but with one year remaining on his current deal, Matip could be worth persevering with until it expires in 2024.

He would be fine as Liverpool’s fourth-choice centre-back, with an upgrade coming in to usurp him and Gomez, leading to the latter leaving instead of Matip.