Liverpool will listen to offers for defender this summer as he nears expiry of contract

Liverpool’s season went from bad to worse on Saturday as they were beaten 3-0 by struggling Wolves at Molineux. 

The Reds currently find themselves in tenth-place in the Premier League table, as near to the relegation zone as they are to the top four in terms of points totals.

An own goal from Joel Matip gave Wolves the lead on Saturday, before Craig Dawson and Ruben Neves made sure of the hosts’ victory.

Matip lined up alongside Joe Gomez at the centre of Liverpool’s defence, in the absence of both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

The duo failed to impress against Wolves, and it now appears that Matip’s time at Anfield could be coming to an end.

As per Football Insider, The Reds will reportedly listen to offers for Matip this summer, by which time he will have just 12 months remaining on his contract.

It is claimed that Liverpool would be willing to allow both Matip and Nat Phillips to leave the club during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Matip, 31, joined The Reds from German side Schalke in 2016 and has since made more than 180 appearances for the Premier League side across all competitions.

Matip could be sold this summer

The ex-Cameroon international has been a regular for Jurgen Klopp’s side since joining the club, with the exception of the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons when he suffered severe injuries.

The defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, though, which means that this summer marks one of Liverpool’s last chances to sell the player for a fee, rather than losing him for free.

If Matip and Phillips do both leave Anfield, Liverpool would almost certainly be in the market for a centre-back as a replacement.

Van Dijk and Konate appear to have cemented themselves as Klopp’s first choice pairing in the middle of their backline, while Joe Gomez is often used but also provides cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

Liverpool have been competitive at the top of the Premier League table over the past four seasons, but they have struggled this term.

So far, they have already lost seven matches in the league, compared to just two defeats across the entirety of last season.