Joel Matip is being lined up for a surprise return to the Premier League with West Ham, according to reports. The former Liverpool centre-back has been without a club since his Reds contract expired on June 30.
Matip was brought to Anfield on a free transfer in the early days of Jurgen Klopp‘s reign. It turned out to be an inspired piece of business as the towering defender made more than 200 appearances, winning the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups.
An injury-hit final season saw Liverpool decide against extending Matip’s contract and he was released at the end of June. According to Sky Sports, West Ham are weighing up whether to offer him a route back to the English top flight.
The Hammers signed Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to bolster their defence during the summer window, but fellow centre-backs Thilo Kehrer, Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd all left the club.
To avoid leaving new manager Julen Lopetegui light at the back, senior figures at the London Stadium are scouring the free agent market for an available option, with Matip and former Sheffield United star John Egan both under consideration.
West Ham were busier than most on deadline day as they tied up a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s Carlos Soler, who was unveiled to supporters before Saturday’s home defeat to Manchester City.
They also continued trimming Lopetegui’s squad, with Aguerd joining Real Sociedad, James Ward-Prowse heading to Nottingham Forest and Maxwel Cornet snapped up by Southampton.
“I think that Carlos Soler is a good player and he is going to help us, for sure,” said Lopetegui after City’s 3-1 win. “He is maybe at his best age, as he’s 27, he has international experience and is a very good player. He has a good profile for us as he can play in different positions and I think he is going to help us to be better.”
On the possibility of conducting further business during the international break, the Spaniard added: “The window is closed and you can now only sign free players right now, and OK, we have to focus on the players who we have in the squad.
“We now lose a lot of players who go with their national teams and we are crossing our fingers that they come back healthy. We will keep working and start thinking about the next challenge.”
