Scouting Liverpool transfer target Joel Matip

Schalke centre-back Joel Matip has emerged as a target for Liverpool heading into the January transfer window, with a move for the Cameroonian reportedly planned for when he enters the final six months of his contract in the new year.

This is according to the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe, who lists Matip as a likely arrival under Jurgen Klopp alongside Red Star Belgrade midfielder Marko Grujic:

Matip, who has other options beyond Liverpool to consider before any deal is rubber-stamped, is a 24-year-old centre-half. He is available on a Bosman and can sign a pre-contract agreement from January 1.

Schalke are eager for him to sign a new deal but Matip is seen by Klopp as a replacement for Kolo Toure, who is in the final year of a Liverpool contract that will not be renewed.

Liverpool’s hierarchy are ready to make further funds available immediately if the new manager makes a request, but Klopp has made it known he wants to give his squad the rest of the campaign to prove themselves.

With a League Cup semi-final on the immediate horizon the latest setbacks are seen as inevitable bumps in the road as the new manager makes a more thorough assessment of his long-term needs.

Klopp has so far cut a staunch figure when it comes to signings in the January transfer market, with widespread reports suggesting he is unlikely to add players to his squad before the summer, preferring to take the 2015/16 campaign to learn more about those at his disposal.

Familiar with Matip after seven years in charge of Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, Klopp will be able to assess his squad with a strong idea of where the 24-year-old would fit in.

But who is Matip, and how would he operate under Klopp at Liverpool?
Matip, son of former Cameroonian footballer Jean Matip, brother of FC Ingolstadt 04 player Marvin Matip and cousin to ex-Middlesbrough forward Joseph-Desire Job, joined Schalke as a nine-year-old in 2000 after a youth spent progressing through the ranks at SC Weitmar 45 and then VfL Bochum.

Stationed in the club's academy, Matip was schooled at the Gesamtschule Berger Feld, whose alumni includes Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler and Matip's defensive colleague Benedikt Howedes.

Watching Howedes, three years his senior, establish himself in the Schalke first team in 2008/09 will have inspired Matip, who had to wait until the following season to be handed his debut with the Gelsenkirchen-based club.

This came against Bayern Munich, and Matip's contribution, deployed at the base of Schalke's midfield, would be hugely influential, heading his side's equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw after Daniel Van Buyten had put the Bundesliga giants ahead with a first-half strike.

At just 18 and on his debut, Matip was awarded the highest rating of any player by German publication Kicker for was an uncompromising performance that showed his strengths—along with a blossoming maturity.

Matip spent the rest of 2009/10 deployed in midfield, moving into a utility role the following season, often fielded at left- or right-back, with his strong understanding of the game and youthful determination allowing him to adapt to a number of roles.

In his first two seasons at the club, Matip saw Schalke finish second and then 14th in the Bundesliga, surviving the disastrous final days of Felix Magath and welcoming the arrivals of Raul, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and promising young Greek centre-back Kyriakos Papadopoulos, among many others.

He made 46 Bundesliga appearances between 2009/10 and 2010/11.
After honing his skills as a bit-part player, Matip was installed as a first-choice centre-back the following season and has served as the one constant at the heart of Schalke's defence over the past five seasons, allowing him to showcase his talents.

Matip is a front-footed, aggressive centre-back who prefers to step out of defence and take the initiative before dangerous attacks build up close to the Schalke penalty area, with his main strengths—beyond his versatility—being his pace and aerial prowess; the former, in particularly, lends him perfectly to his role alongside the more reserved Matija Nastasic, for example, as Matip is able to recover quickly to aid his team-mates.

The Cameroon international also boasts reasonable technical ability and is able to recycle possession confidently, averaging 52.1 passes per 90 league minutes so far this season and completing 83.7 per cent of those attempted—this is in a similar region to Liverpool's first-choice centre-backs, Mamadou Sakho (64.6, 89.6 per cent) and Martin Skrtel (53.1, 85.5 percent), suggesting he could adapt quickly.

However, while Matip's aggressive style is commendable, at 24 he is still typically rash in his decision-making when stepping out of defence, with a narrow tactical outlook often finding him throwing himself into challenges too early, which hampers his consistency.

This, of course, could be ironed out, as Matip is still at an age at which he is able to develop, particularly under a tactically advanced manager such as Klopp.

But where would he fit within the German's squad at Liverpool?
Injury to Skrtel, recently confirmed by the Slovakian on his Instagram account as keeping him out of action for "six weeks," highlights the most obvious role, with the right-sided Matip perfectly poised to partner Sakho at centre-back.

Skrtel's injury comes at an intriguing juncture, with Klopp already surveying centre-back targets, and it could be the 31-year-old, who has long represented a weak link in the Liverpool defence, is in line for an upgrade—though whether Matip has the overriding quality to be a first-choice centre-back for a club with top-four aspirations remains to be seen.

Crucially, however, Matip's versatility would allow him to play a number of roles for Klopp, with a stint at the base of Liverpool's midfield perhaps best suited while he adjusts to life in the Premier League.

With Klopp lacking cover on both defensive flanks, Matip could also deputise for Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno when required.

As Bascombe suggested, a January move is unlikely, but Skrtel's injury could force Klopp's hand, and the Mirror's Alex Richards claimed this could be a possibility for Schalke:

While Matip may be willing to wait until the summer, Schalke could be persuaded to cash in early due to financial pressures.

Both main commercial partner Gazprom and kit sponsor Adidas are reportedly preparing to end their association with the club at the end of their current big-money contracts.

Gas supplier Gazprom's £22 million-a-year deal expires in 2017, and Schalke are struggling to persuade the Russian giant to renew.

A figure in the region of £4 million has been mentioned to get Matip six months early and Liverpool are in need of defensive recruits in January, having seen a host of first-team defenders succumb to injury.

This would be a wise move for the Reds, with Matip representing a solid addition to Klopp's squad, and the mooted fee of £4 million would provide Liverpool with value for money.

If they are able to convince Matip to leave Gelsenkirchen in January—or in the summer—he would provide welcome cover in a number of positions, particularly with a 34-year-old Kolo Toure likely to leave Merseyside in the summer, as reported by Bascombe.

He may not be the first-choice option Liverpool need to replace Skrtel in the long term, but Matip would be a shrewd acquisition for Klopp.