Liverpool defensive target Joel Matip is set to decide his future next month, with current club Schalke increasingly resigned to losing one of their star men.

The 24-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and has been linked with a number of clubs across Europe.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer, and a free transfer in the summer has been mooted.

Matip has already revealed his excitement at having "many interesting clubs" keeping tabs on his situation. The Cameroonian international has already turned down a four-year, £2.5million-a-year deal to stay at the Veltins Arena.

General manager Horst Heldt admits that the player - who has been with Schalke since the age of nine and is an ever-present in the Bundesliga this term - is unlikely to sign.

"Our competition is tough, [but] we had a very good conversation. We will meet in January again, then he will decide," he told Bild.

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

A figure in the region of £4million 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.

Source: Daily Mirror

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