How will this summer signing improve Liverpool next season?

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Joel Matip was announced as a Liverpool player back in February as the Cameroon defender agreed a pre-contract deal with the Reds. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been accused of being weak in central defence over the last twelve months.

Martin Skrtel is mistake waiting to happen and appears to be on his way out of Anfield. Dejan Lovren has improved considerably, but there are still doubts about his ability to perform at the level, at which Liverpool want to reach.

Meanwhile, Kolo Toure hasn’t had his contract renewed, and the need for some fresh blood at centre half is evident. The only potentially top tier centre-half they have is Mamadou Sakho, and even he has inconsistencies in his game.

The announcement of Matip would have eased the concerns about the coming seasons.

Jurgen Klopp had to deal with another man’s squad last season and still managed to achieve some success in the cup competitions, but there is no doubt that Matip is his signing. The Liverpool manager knows the defender well from his time coaching in Germany.

Many regular watchers of the Bundesliga believe that Matip will come on a lot under Klopp’s coaching and that Liverpool have managed to make a very shrewd signing.

He was probably in the second tier of centre-backs in the Bundesliga last season. However, he improved a lot after injuries to his team-mates and at the age of 24, he has a lot of room for further development.

He will fit nicely into Klopp’s tactical plan as he is very good with the ball at his feet. His distribution is good and his passing is one of his best attributes. Matip brings the ball out of defence well, and Liverpool lacked that last season, which slowed down the transition play. He is capable of playing quick passes to the midfielders, or long balls to the forward line.

The centre-back will also help to solve some of Liverpool’s problems from set pieces, as he is effective in the air – as would be expected from a 6’4” defender. This is supported by his average of 3.5 aerial dual wins per match. He is also a threat in the opposition box, scoring three times last season, while he also added three assists – a very good haul for a centre back.

Defensively, he reads the game well, as displayed by his average of 3.1 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga. This allows him to steal the ball and step out quickly in possession, which will help Liverpool launch counter attacks next term.

However, there remain some issues with his game, such as his poor communication. He can be a quiet character in the back four and isn’t very vocal. This can lead to some defensive errors as he and his fellow defenders aren’t always on the same wavelength.

Many consider this to be a reason why he will never be in the top bracket of defenders, but it is an area that will improve with age. T

he coaching of Jurgen Klopp will also help him in becoming a more authoritative figure in the backline. A possible partnership with Sakho could bring out the best in Matip, as Sakho is more of a leader and Matip would be able to follow his lead.

Liverpool conceded 50 goals last season, which is more than they would have liked. They lost crucial points due to their poor defensive unit, and it’s the main area of concern for Klopp heading into this summer window.

The impending sale of Martin Skrtel will probably lead to Liverpool bringing in another centre half, to increase competition for places. Matip is a smart signing, as he is young and is the perfect profile for the style Klopp is trying to adopt. The Bundesliga is also the closest to the Premier League in terms of physicality, meaning that he shouldn’t need as much time to adapt.

Joel Matip is going to turn out to be a great signing for Liverpool and improve them no end as he is a potential top four defender, something only Sakho can claim to be out of the club’s centre-backs last season.

He is great with the ball at his feet, and will help the side adopt Klopp’s style of play, as he will improve the transition play from back to front. At times last season, the transition from defence to attack could be slow as the defenders picked weren’t comfortable with the ball at their feet. Matip cannot be accused of this.

The only issue is that he will be required to play the African Cup of Nations in January, which heightens the cause for Klopp to add further reinforcements to his backline, and create strength in depth.

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