According to a recent report from A Spor (via talkSPORT), Liverpool defender Joel Matip could be set for a move away in the January transfer window. The centre back made the move to Anfield back in 2016 as manager Jurgen Klopp sought to improve his defensive options, only for the 27-year-old to fall down the pecking order to thus call his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that fellow Premier League side Fulham and Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing up a New Year move for the former Cameroon international, a move Matip must seek to make in January with time seemingly up on his Liverpool career.

The Breakdown

The centre back made the move to Anfield amid much excitement and anticipation given the Reds’ prior defensive struggles under Brendan Rodgers and indeed in the early stages of Klopp’s reign, and the 27-year-old went some way to aiding with those problems by appearing 29 times in the Premier League in his first season at the club, helping the Reds to fourth place.

Yet there were still a few too many occasions in which the backline, including Matip himself, made errors to allow Klopp’s team to still be got-at by opposition forwards, which is why it was hardly surprising to see the Merseyside giants break the transfer record for a defender in luring Virgil van Dijk to the club back in January.

And that spelt bad news for Matip given he managed just 25 Premier League appearances for the club last term, albeit injuries did play a part in his struggles, and that has carried on into this term given the 27-year-old has mustered only one league start for the Reds so far, with the likes of van Dijk, Dejan Lovren, and Joe Gomez seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.

And with just one minute of action in their last six league matches, alongside featuring just once in their indifferent Champions League campaign, the writing appears to be on the wall for the centre back, who has proven over time to be a woeful Klopp signing given he was brought into Anfield to try and solidify a backline that shipped 50 goals in the 2015/16 campaign, and while that number did reduce the season after, it was clear that he still wasn’t the answer to their problems.

And with Klopp beginning to find an answer in messrs van Dijk, Lovren, and Gomez, time appears to be up on Matip’s Reds career, which is why he must seek to make the move away from Anfield come the New Year.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!