Joel Matip considering retirement from professional football following Liverpool exit: Reports
Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip is reportedly set to retire from professional football, as per German outlet Ruhr Nachrichten S04. His contract with the Reds expired earlier this summer and he has been without any club since.
Matip signed for Liverpool in July 2016 from Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on a free transfer. He spent eight years at Anfield, making 201 appearances across all competitions, bagging 11 goals and six assists.
However, his career was widely affected by injuries, which restricted him from becoming a top-choice central defender for Liverpool. Most recently, he suffered an ACL injury last December and could make just 14 appearances across competitions. During his time at Liverpool, he won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, two League Cups, and an FA Cup title.
As per the aforementioned report, the Cameroonian football star is now seeking retirement from the sport, aged 33. Following his retirement as a player, he is reportedly looking forward to picking up a coaching role.
According to Gelsenkirchen-based team SSV Buer, Joel Matip has been offered to coach the children of the club after he was enrolling his own child.
As per German outlet BILD, Matip's boyhood club Schalke were aiming to sign Matip on a free transfer this summer. However, that deal seems to be highly unlikely at this moment.
Liverpool to sign 28-year-old defender as Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement: Reports
Arne Slot's Liverpool are reportedly looking forward to penning a deal in the next summer transfer window with Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries, as per CaughtOffside.
English defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has the last few months remaining on his contract at Anfield, which will come to an end next summer. The 25-year-old is heavily linked with LaLiga giants Real Madrid. The rumors have grown after Dani Carvajal suffered an ACL injury during Los Blancos' league game against Villarreal earlier this month.
Denzel Dumfries would become a free agent next summer and he's yet to sign a new deal with the Seria A side. As a result, the Reds see the Dutchman as the potential successor of Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, their first preference would be convincing the Englishman to sign a contract extension.
Dumfries has been a part of Inter Milan since August 2021, when he arrived from Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven. The 28-year-old has played 139 appearances, bagging 12 goals and 20 assists across all competitions for the Nerazzurri.