Wolves have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Joel Matip, according to a report.
According to talkSPORT, Matip is ‘keen’ for a move back to the Premier League, and Wolves are one of three Premier League clubs who could sign him. West Ham are interested, along with their London rivals Fulham. Matip is a free agent after being released at the end of last season, and all three clubs want to strengthen their back line.
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Wolves sold Max Kilman to Wolves for £40m in the summer, but never found a replacement. Gary O’Neil instead gave Yerson Mosquera a chance, after he returned from a loan spell with Villarreal. Mosquera partnered Toti Gomes against Arsenal and Chelsea, whilst Craig Dawson played alongside him in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, and the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.
Clubs are allowed to sign players outside of the transfer window, should they have a free slot in their squad. All 20 Premier League teams had to submit a squad list to the Premier League after the transfer registration period for the summer shut.
Wolves have filled their 25-man squad, and so a transfer could only happen if a player over the age of 21 was moved out. The remaining windows open in Europe are Israel and Turkey, according to TalkingWolves.
Wolves’ defence has been leaky, and they have yet to keep a clean sheet in the league. A total of 11 goals have been conceded so far in the league, with only Everton shipping more. Chelsea scored six past Wolves, whilst Arsenal and Newcastle United have breached their defence twice. Their only clean sheet of the campaign so far was a 2-0 win over Burnley in the Carabao Cup in which Santiago Bueno and Dawson were partnered together
Matip is 33-years-old, and has an abundance of Premier League experience under his belt. He joined the Reds from Schalke in 2016 on a free transfer, and went on to make 201 appearances. In Jurgen Klopp’s final season on Merseyside, Matip made 14 appearances across all competitions, but missed the rest of the season from early December onwards.
The highlights of his time at Anfield will have been winning the Champions League in 2019, before lifting the Premier League title a year later. Matip also won the EFL Cup and the Carabao Cup, as well, and a return to the Premier League would suit him, having based himself in England for eight years.
Wolves host Liverpool at Molineux on Saturday, September 28, at 5.30 pm in front of the television cameras.
