Liverpool Transfer News: Joel Matip Deal 'Agreed,'

Liverpool have reportedly struck a pre-contract agreement with Schalke centre-back Joel Matip, meaning the Cameroon international defender will join the Reds for free at the end of the season.

According to David Maddock and Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror, the Reds’ loan acquisition of Steven Caulker is only a short-term measure given the club’s current injury crisis, and he’ll return to Queens Park Rangers at the end of the season. But the duo suggested Matip has "agreed" to sign with the Reds and is very much in the long-term plans of Jurgen Klopp.
“Jurgen Klopp has been an admirer since his time as Borussia Dortmund boss, and will add the 6'3" defender to his back line at the end of the season,” continued the piece. Maddock and Richards also claimed Schalke were hoping the 24-year-old would pen a new deal with the club, but he’s clearly determined his future lies elsewhere.
On a free transfer, this is a savvy deal for the Reds. Here’s a look at the kind of quality Matip will add to the back four:

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Caulker’s acquisition raised plenty of eyebrows among supporters given his displays for Southampton this term.
Indeed, his last outing was against Liverpool in the League Cup, when Klopp’s side ran out impressive 6-1 winners. They were aided by some woeful defending from the Saints, however. 

 

Caulker was run ragged by Liverpool earlier in the season.

It’s a transfer that certainly hasn’t impressed Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones and Sam Tighe, who feel as though the Reds could do much better:

But if Matip’s acquisition is confirmed, then the club’s supporters will feel a lot more contented. After all, he has performed at the highest level and is a different type of centre-back to what the Reds currently have on their books. At 24, he’s a player who could be around at Anfield for a while yet, too.
Keith Costigan on FOX Sports commented recently that Matip seems to be better suited to Klopp’s style of football than any of the current centre-back options:

Covered Matip extensively this year in Bundesliga. Loves to take the ball out of the back. Comfortable playing a high line.

Matip is definitely a very capable defender. His positioning is sound, he’s strong in the tackle and he has plenty of pace.
Having played at the base of midfield at times too, he’s also a player who can distribute the ball well, something that was crucial to Klopp’s brilliant Borussia Dortmund team moving quickly through phases.

 

Matip seems a strong fit for the way Klopp wants his Liverpool team to play.

As is evident by this statistic from WhoScored.com earlier in the campaign, the Cameroonian is a player who also reads the game very well:

Joel Matip: No player has made more interceptions in a Bundesliga match this season than Matip did vs Borussia Dortmund (10) #S04

Would Matip be a good signing for Liverpool?

Of course, there are some areas of concern. There have been times during his stint in the Bundesliga when Matip has been bossed by burly centre-forwards and struggled to assert his authority aerially; that’s a type of striker he’ll come across much more frequently in the Premier League.
But, as is the case with any defender, he’ll better learn how to cope with that kind of challenge should he face it much more regularly.
Either way, for no fee, this is a risk-free transfer for the Reds should it come off, and credit must be given for some shrewd work in Klopp’s first window in charge.