Matip Top! Stones & Bailly highlight Liverpool’s shrewdest swoop of the summer

The defender’s move to Merseyside has been one of the best bits of business of the year, and as per the Reds boss, you could put a sizeable figure on his quality

At the Four Seasons Hotel in East Palo Alto during pre-season, Jurgen Klopp cusped his palm under his chin, stretched his smile some distance, and declared Liverpool had saved millions when they recruited Joel Matip from Schalke. 

If the starting point is £30m for Eric Bailly – stuttering for Manchester United – climbing up to the £47.5m fee the erring John Stones commanded this summer, the Reds have practically printed money – and wads of it, by bringing the Cameroon international in on a free transfer.

The 25-year-old signed a pre-contract in January after opting against extending his terms with the Bundesliga side, who had explored every avenue available in an attempt to change his mind.

Matip, however, was determined to undertake a new challenge after spending 16 years in Gelsenkirchen and Klopp offered such a proposal: putting his mix of composure and cerebral powers to the test in the Premier League. 

The building blocks of the deal were in place long before it was eventually secured. The central defender’s performances in Germany’s top-flight made such an impression on Klopp that he knew once he joined another club after departing Borussia Dortmund – Schalke’s arch-rivals – Matip would be target number one on his wishlist.

“He is a top-class centre-half, very young but experienced,” the 49-year-old explained after negotiations were concluded.

“You don’t have that too often. To be honest, when I had my break I thought for the next club, I should think about Joel, if there was a need.

“He never played for my team, he did the extreme opposite – he played for their biggest opponent! Maybe that says a lot about his quality. Even when he played for the team you cannot love as Dortmund manager, you see his quality. Then that’s real quality.

“It’s a good situation, hopefully a win-win. In this moment, it looks like this.”

Fast forward 11 games into the season, and the signing still reflects as a great triumph. Matip, a blend of grace and athleticism, has navigated his early months in England effortlessly. 

Dominant in the air, unfazed, and elegant with the ball at his feet, he relies on his brain rather than body blows to get the better of strikers. Matip has already come up trumps in tussles with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Diego Costa. The latter pair may have scored for Leicester and Chelsea respectively, but only those single moments belonged to them while the centre-half owned both encounters as a whole.

“He’s a real centre-half. He is physically strong, a really tall boy – taller than me! It doesn’t happen too often that I have to [looks upwards],” as Klopp explained.

“He’s quick, he’s flexible in his movements and good in technical things.

“He has played in different systems, with four or three defenders. He scores goals, four or five per season minimum. He is good in the one-on-one and quick. It’s a package.”

In the 2-1 win against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday evening, Matip once again delivered a complete, controlled display. He never lost an aerial duel, made 11 clearances, regained possession six times, played 46 balls in the opponent’s half with 82% success, and even contributed a key pass. 

As far as free signings go, the Bochum-born man is top capital. And as per Klopp, “If you asked in Germany what other clubs would have paid for him had he still been under contract, you can just pick a number.” A mammoth one at that.