Following recent claims that Liverpool could hand new deals to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago, another Reds hero could now also be set to extend his stay, according to a new update.
Will Liverpool players sign new deals?
So much focus has been on transfers at Anfield of late following a busy summer that saw major surgery occur in the Reds' midfield. Four new players came in, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister among them, while Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departed.
While it was vital to rebuild Jurgen Klopp's squad, especially in the middle of the park, keeping hold of important players is just as important moving forward.
The future of Mohamed Salah has been a major talking point of late, amid much interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, while Alexander-Arnold and Thiago have also been in the headlines as they potentially near signing new contracts. Those three players aren't alone when it comes to the next step in their careers, however, with another Liverpool ace's future also in the headlines.
Which Liverpool player could sign a new contract?
According to Football Insider, Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip is in talks over extending his stay at Anfield, with his current deal expiring at the end of this season:
"Liverpool are in preliminary talks with Joel Matip’s representatives about a potential contract extension, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed discussions are not yet at an advanced stage. Matip, 32, is in the final year of his contract at Anfield and can discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January. A new deal for the centre-back would come as a surprise as Liverpool were open to selling him during the summer window.
"He is now the fourth-choice centre-half for Jurgen Klopp and is approaching the twilight years of his career. However, Klopp trusts the Cameroon international and is keen to keep him around despite his advancing years."
At 32 years of age, Matip isn't quite the player he was two or three years ago, with Ibrahima Konate becoming Virgil van Dijk's first-choice centre-back partner, but prolonging his Anfield career could still be a good decision by Liverpool.
The fact that Klopp reportedly still sees the defender as an important figure to have around the club immediately stands out in the report, with dressing room influence something that is so key, as the likes of Henderson and Milner showed during their time at the club. Granted, injuries are always a potential problem with Matip, so there would be a risk element in him signing a new deal, but he is still an asset when he is fit and available, as he provides Klopp with squad depth and is capable of doing a solid job when he does play, as he showed in the 3-0 win at home to Aston Villa, for example. In that game, he won both of his aerial duels and also enjoyed a 94% pass completion rate, according to Sofascore.
Were Matip to leave, it certainly wouldn't be a disaster, allowing Liverpool to sign a younger alternative, but there is also clear sense in extending his stay, with Klopp hailing him as "really smart" in the past.