‘Not concrete just yet’ - Fabrizio Romano update on Liverpool deal for star with 187 appearances

Alongside Jurgen Klopp’s fierce mission to revamp his midfield, Liverpool are also looking to take care of some in-house deals as well. An update has emerged regarding Joël Matip’s future as his current contract is due to expire next summer.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have discussed the possibility of tabling new terms for the defender as he enters his seventh season at Anfield. Matip has established himself as a reliable and experienced member of Klopp’s squad and his efforts could potentially be rewarded with a new deal this transfer window.

Speaking on the CaughtOffside DeBrief Podcast, Romano said: “From what I heard, they’ve had some conversations with Joël Matip over a new deal but it is not something concrete just yet.”

Liverpool have already made some tough decisions this summer as they parted ways with four well-respected members of the team. James Milner, Robert Firmino, Naby Keïta, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left the club at the end of June following the expiration of their contracts. While this made way for Liverpool’s two blockbuster signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Klopp is also said to be on the market for a new centre-back as well as his midfield hunt but nothing has come to fruition just yet. If the German boss doesn’t sign a new defender, he is back to the dilemma of choosing between Ibrahima Konaté, Joe Gomez and Matip to partner Virgil van Dijk.

Since signing for the Reds back in 2016, injuries have heavily interfered with Matip’s playing time, however he has made a total of 187 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions. He was limited to just 12 starts in the Premier League last season though, and appearances were shared between the three centre-back options, which loops right back to the question of who Klopp will start the new season with alongside van Dijk.