Barcelona are keen on signing Liverpool defender Joel Matip in the January transfer window, according to Sport.
The 29-year-old has gone from being a squad player to a hugely important figure at Liverpool, following serious injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
Matip is an injury-prone player himself, however, so Jurgen Klopp will be desperate for him to remain fit for a sustained period.
It is claimed that Ronald Koeman wants to convince the Cameroonian to move away from Anfield, with an experienced centre-back being sought at the Nou Camp.
Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi and Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger are also mooted as potential options to bring in.
Read Liverpool Verdict
I simply don’t see a scenario where Liverpool are willing to let Matip leave in Janaury, given their aforementioned injury woes. He is the Reds’ only fit, established centre-back, so the idea of selling him makes no sense whatsoever, weakening the squad further in the process.
Matip is going to be crucial between now and the end of the season, hopefully filling the huge void left by his teammates and staying injury-free.
Should Klopp make the bizarre decision to let him move to Barca, it would be among the Liverpool manager’s most baffling calls since arriving in 2015.
