Joel Matip left Liverpool at the end of last season (Image: Getty)
Joel Matip is reportedly considering offers from several Premier League clubs.
The defender left Liverpool last summer after an injury-ridden campaign which limited him to just 10 league appearances.
Jurgen Klopp sang the praises of Matip regularly throughout his tenure but the former Cameroon international followed his manager out of the Anfield exit once the 2023/24 campaign drew to a close.
According to The Mirror, a return to the Premier League is firmly on the cards for Matip over the coming weeks as he weighs up whether to return to England so soon after his departure.
Fulham have reportedly registered an interest in acquiring the services of the 33-year-old as part of their defensive reshuffle, with Marco Silva keen to add depth to his backline following the arrival of Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace.
West Ham are said to be among Matip’s suitors as well and the arrival of the ex-Reds star would cap off a sensational summer of recruitment by the club, led by technical director Tim Steidten.
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Jurgen Klopp made it no secret that he was a big fan of Matip (Image: Getty)
The Hammers splashed the cash to provide new manager Julen Lopetegui with several top players to work with, such as Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug. Kurt Zouma was also allowed to leave the club as part of the rebuild, and Matip could be the ideal replacement for their former skipper.
Bournemouth were similarly busy in the window, and they have reportedly shown an interest in acquiring the services of Matip to inject some experience into their youthful dressing room.
Matip is considering all of his options before pressing on with concrete negotiations as he would reportedly favour a two-year contract over a short-term deal, despite his injury problems making it trickier for him to make those demands. He last made a competitive appearance approximately 10 months ago.
Joel Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool (Image: Getty)
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The centre-back is said to favour a move to England over elsewhere in Europe, though foreign suitors have not been ruled out entirely. Bundesliga title holders Bayer Leverkusen showed interest in signing Matip throughout the summer and he remains a plausible option for Xabi Alonso’s side.
The defender has glowing references from his time on Merseyside, with Klopp writing on the Liverpool website: “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 Joel Matip. I’m not even sure it would be possible to say anything bad about him,” Klopp said on 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.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1948534/Liverpool-transfer-news-Joel-Matip-West-Ham-Premier-League