Liverpool have made an offer for Joel Matip of Schalke 04, according to Sky Sources, as they look to bolster their squad before the end of the January transfer window.
Matip's predicament
Matip, a centre-back who has three Bundesliga goals, has told the club he wants to leave. Meanwhile, Matip's contract is up after this season, but Schalke wants to agree on a new deal with the 6-foot-4 defender. There are two French teams that are said to be ahead of Liverpool in the running for the native of Germany, who plays for the Cameroon national team.
Even if he doesn't leave in January, it's likely that he'll depart when his contract expires in the summer, meaning any buying club wouldn't have to pay a fee for his services.
"I've been at Schalke since 2000, which shows my connection to the club is strong," Matip said. "I feel good and I'm happy to be playing here, where I grew up. That's why I can imagine myself staying here. But you can't always stay at home."
Who is Joel Matip?
The centre-back began his professional career with Schalke when he started with their second team as an 18-year-old. Matip played in four games for the second team of Schalke.
On his debut for Schalke's first team, Matip scored the equalising goal against Bayern Munich, who were then coached by Louis van Gaal, to earn himself the man of the match award. The versatile player made 20 appearances in the 2009-2010 season, but did not anchor down the centre-back role until the 2010-2011 season for Schalke.
For Schalke's second team, Matip made four appearances and scored one goal, but from 2009-present with the first team, the defender scored 17 goals across 178 games. As a member of Cameroon's national team, he has played in 27 games and scored one goal, which came in the 2014 World Cup.
Matip has earned himself a three-and-a-half-year deal with Schalke in 2010 and then a two-year contract extension in 2012, which will last until June 30, 2016.
How will the centre-back help the Reds?
The 24-year-old is one of the best centre back's in the Budesliga and is good with interceptions, blocks, clearances and headers. Matip also ranks highest among all centre backs for Schalke, which means that he should transition well to the pace and mobility of Liverpool's tactics.
It is important to note that Matip has played midfield in his career. The ability to dribble, pass and shoot the ball proves that he is comfortable with all aspects of the game. Matip has more dribbles this season than any Liverpool defender's.
In the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg, a 1-0 win for Liverpool over Stoke City, the team lost Philippe Coutinho, Dejan Lovren and Kolo Toure to injuries. Coutinho and Lovren suffered serious injuries, while Toure isn't a sustainable option going forward.
The injuries mean that the coach at Anfield, Jürgen Klopp, will need to fill some gaps and Matip could be the answer. Klopp and the Reds have faced injury problems in the defence all season, which hasn't helped their poor performances at the back.