Xabi Alonso looking to sign former Liverpool star and Jurgen Klopp favourite

Liverpool continue to navigate their first transfer window under Arne Slot and while activity has been pretty quiet so far, we can expect a busy August, as quoted by Richard Hughes himself.

The Reds are on the market for a range of new talent who will boost their chances of another Premier League title challenge next season. However, it still remains to be seen how many senior players are due to leave, with the likes of Luis Díaz and Caoimhin Kelleher attracting attention from other clubs, and Virgil van Dijk in something of a grey area.

The captain sparked some hefty debate following his comments at Euro 2024. After the Netherlands’ semi-final defeat to England, the 33-year-old admitted he did not know what his next move is going to be, and that he needs to ‘think carefully this summer’ over what he wants at both domestic and international level.

Naturally, Van Dijk’s comments have stirred up some uncertainty, especially with his contract expiring next summer. Liverpool are already looking to recruit new defenders this window, with last season’s injury crisis accelerating their need to bring in reinforcements.

Joël Matip had his final season at Anfield cut agonisingly short after picking up an ACL injury in December. Despite rumours the club could honour him a fresh deal as a thanks for his services, the 32-year-old was released following the expiration of his contract, and a farewell from the fans at Anfield alongside Thiago.

Matip goes down in Liverpool’s history as one of their best ever free signings, having arrived on Merseyside in 2016 after leaving Schalke as a free agent. After eight years as a red, the former Cameroon international is now looking for the next chapter in his career and a figure rather close to home could be about to give him that opportunity. According to Sky Sports Germany, Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing Matip ahead of the new season, with manager Xabi Alonso scouring the market for an experienced centre-back.

Alonso had been heavily tipped to become the new Liverpool boss, with headlines focusing on the former Anfield star after Jurgen Klopp’s departure announcement. The narrative ran for a number of weeks before the ex-midfielder confirmed he would be staying in Germany to keep pushing Leverkusen forwards, after overseeing their first ever Bundesliga title win.

In order to keep the crown and fend off rivals Bayern Munich, Alonso are co are looking to bring in strong new signings, and Matip is on the radar. The defender played a crucial role at Liverpool with more than 200 appearances and established himself as a fan favourite over the years.

Klopp was also a very fond admirer of Matip’s, and had a lot to say about him following the news that he would not be staying at the club beyond the 2023/24 season.

“In all the years that I have been involved in football, I am not sure I have come across too many players who are more loved than Joël Matip. I’m not even sure it would be possible to say anything bad about him,” Klopp told the club website.

“A wonderful professional, a wonderful footballer and a wonderful human being — we have been blessed to have him with us for as long as we have and now all we can do is wish him well as he heads off in a new direction.

“I have said before that if there was one person who wouldn’t care if he was underrated it would be Joël, but the truth is we could not have rated him more highly. Not only has he set the standards for himself, he has set them for others and this is one of the main reasons why his time here has been so successful.”