In a recent report, journalist Jason Pettigrove claimed that West Ham United are facing tough competition for Joel Matip who is currently a free agent. It is believed that the Hammers would have to rival Leicester City, Fulham and Bournemouth in the race to land the Cameroonian talent on a free transfer this month.
Matip’s Decent Run Of Form At Merseyside
The 33-year-old experienced an injury-plagued season at Liverpool but proved himself to be a good, rotational piece in their squad. Matip participated in 14 matches for the Merseyside club in the previous campaign across multiple competitions.
The Cameroonian central defender was a rock at the back for the Reds as he averaged 1.2 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 4.1 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He was even careful when distributing possession from inside his half based on his pass completion rate of 87.7% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
At the moment, Matip is a free agent, so it is no surprise that West Ham United are among the clubs hoping to snap him up on a free transfer this summer.
West Ham United Are Facing Tough Competition For Matip: Is He Worth The Fight?
Matip loves a tackle and can sense the danger well to earn the ball back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the front foot and can play his way out from the back.
Standing at 1.95, the Cameroon international is a dominant presence in the air. He has got a wealth of experience in the Premier League from his successful spell at Liverpool and won’t take much time to settle into life at West Ham if Julen Lopetegui can devise a way to win the race for his services.
Matip would add more bite and steel to the East London club‘s defence. He has what it takes to challenge for a regular starting place at the London Stadium. At 33, Matip might still have a couple of good years left in him to play at a high level. Hence, he would be well worth the fight, so Lopetegui should focus on stepping up his efforts to land him on a free transfer this month.
