27-Year-Old Defender Close To Summer Exit At Liverpool

Liverpool defender Joel Matip is set to leave the club at the end of this season according to the media reports emanating from Italy.

Italian media outlet Calciomercato claim that the Reds want to offload the Cameroonian international centre back at the end of this season.

Joel Matip has 18 months left on his current deal with the Merseysiders but the Reds want to sell him in the summer when he has one year to go on his Liverpool contract.

• Virgil Van Dijk: the most underrated defender in the world

The 27-year-old signed for Liverpool in 2016 as a free agent after his contract with German Bundesliga club Schalke 04 expired.

He was a first team regular at the club until last season when Liverpool paid a world record fee for a defender.

Liverpool centre back Virgil Van Dijk became the most expensive defender in the history of world football after the Reds splashed out a whopping £75m to secure his transfer from fellow Premier League side Southampton in January 2018.

The Reds have improved defensively since the acquisition of Dutchman Virgil Van Dijk thus leading to a sustained title challenge for Liverpool in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool are two points clear of defending champions Manchester City with a game in hand.