Liverpool face new dilemma over future of key defender after latest news

A long-term injury suffered by Joel Matip has added an extra element of concern in terms of his Liverpool future.

Matip, 32, has been a key figure for Jurgen Klopp ever since arriving at the club but his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and it is unclear, as it stands, whether he will be offered a new deal.

Klopp still boasts Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Ibrahim Konate as senior options for that position but the emergence of youngster Jarell Quansah has been a pleasant surprise, and his increased game time could spell trouble for Matip’s future - but that isn’t the biggest worry for the defender right now.

Despite earning a 4-3 late victory over Fulham over the weekend, Matip was forced off during the game with what looked like a serious injury. Klopp confirmed yesterday that he had suffered ligament damage and that he would be out ‘for months’ as a result. This could see Quansah earn more game time and by the time Matip returns, he may not have long to prove he deserves a new deal.

But what has the player said about his future? Back in September, Matip expressed his desire to remain at the club, stating it is a place in which he feels truly comfortable.

“Here in Liverpool, with these absolutely top conditions, you can’t just leave,” he told Sky Germany. ““I also feel incredibly comfortable here in my private life. I think it’s desirable not to constantly change clubs. But everyone has to decide that for themselves. In any case, I find consistency helpful. If in the end it was just [Schalke and Liverpool], I would be perfectly happy. But in football you never know for sure.”

With over 200 games for the club, Matip has been one of their best free signings of all time as he played a key part in their many trophy successes from 2018-onwards - he even started in the 2019 Champions League final victory over Tottenham, for example.

At 32, he has given everything in a Liverpool shirt and if he sails off into the sunset at the end of this season then he will have no regrets. It may even help Liverpool finally secure that left-sided centre-back they were targeting earlier this year. With a focus on refreshing the squad, a defensive target is certainly on the list and if the right player can be identified between now and the end of the season, then it makes sense for Matip to depart.

The future of his Liverpool career is certainly in doubt after suffering a serious injury and the club will have a decision to make when he returns in the early months of next year.