Liverpool: Klopp could unearth next Matip with Morgan Boyes | OneFootball

At this point in the season, only Chelsea (4) and Manchester City (6) have conceded fewer goals in the Premier League than Liverpool (11).

One player that has played a part in Liverpool’s defensive line in this campaign is Joel Matip, who has played in all but three of their 11 Premier League games this season, as well as playing in all of their Champions League games.

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In that time, Matip has proven himself to be a very useful defensive outlet for Klopp by racking up an average of 2.6 clearances per game and 1.4 interceptions per game in the league, ultimately earning him high praise from former Reds defender Jamie Carragher who has said that Matip has been better than Virgil van Dijk this season.

Despite his impressive start to the season, the fact that Matip has now hit the age of 30 and has his current contract at the Merseyside club set to expire in 2024, there’s every possibility that he could be on his way out of the club at that point.

With that in mind, Liverpool could already have their ideal heir for Matip in their youth ranks with 20-year-old defender Morgan Boyes.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, Boyes has made a total of 59 appearances between the Merseyside club’s U18 and U23 sides.

The defender has also made two senior appearances for the Reds, the first of which came during their 5-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup back in December 2019 where he played the full 90 minutes and then in their 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup where he came on as a late substitute in February 2020.

In April 2020, in an interview with the club’s media, Boyes described himself as a “composed” player on the ball and someone who likes to have a laugh with his teammates off the pitch.

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This could also make him a suitable heir for Matip given how the Cameroon international has shown off his impressive passing ability in the Premier League this season with an average passing accuracy percentage of 90%.

Moving forward, while Matip may not be in any danger of having Boyes take his place in the team anytime soon, the youngster definitely has what it takes to break into Jurgen Klopp’s team if he manages to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to play with them in the future. As a result, he could potentially save FSG millions in transfer fees as a possible long-term replacement for Matip.