Southampton could rival AFC Bournemouth for Liverpool player | OneFootball

Southampton are eyeing soon-to-be former Liverpool defender Joel Matip ahead of their potential Premier League return.

That is according to The Sun, who report that the Saints are monitoring the 32-year-old's situation as they head into the summer.

Of course, Southampton have a huge game to play on Sunday, facing Leeds United at Wembley in the Championship play-off final.

If victorious, the Saints will earn themselves an immediate return to the Premier League and try to convince Matip to head to St Mary's.

Southampton linked with Joel Matip

The Sun claim that Southampton hope they can convince Matip to sign for Russell Martin's side next season should they beat Leeds at the weekend.

Unfortunately for the Saints, however, they are not the only side interested in the former Champions League and Premier League winner.

According to the report, current Premier League side AFC Bournemouth are also keen on bringing Matip to the south coast this summer.

Interest in Matip is not only domestic, either.

Clubs in both Spain and Germany are also said to be monitoring the defender's situation.

Joel Matip's 2023/24 season

Of course, the above sides are circling with Matip set to be available on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old's current contract with Liverpool is due to expire at the end of June, and it is perhaps not a surprise that the Reds are allowing him to leave.

This past season, for example, Matip appeared in just 10 Premier League matches, and 14 in all competitions.

This is largely due to the fact that the 32-year-old has been out of action since December with a ruptured ACL.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp provided an update on Matip's injury in early April, via Liverpoolfc.com: "Joel [is] running – he hates that!"

"But he is able to run again, so that’s good.

“I think since he got injured this is the best moment because it was very painful in the beginning, very painful for him [but] he got through that and now he is pain-free.

"But, that now all takes time so I don’t think the season is long enough for him.”

Risk vs reward for Southampton

All of the above may be meaningless if Southampton are not victorious in the Championship play-off final on Sunday.

However, should the Saints go up, it would certainly be a case of risk versus reward if they were to go in for Matip.

Unfortunately, ACL injuries can often really affect a player, and given that Matip has been sidelined for so long, and is 32-years-old, it remains to be seen how he bounces back from this season's setback.

On the other hand, if he does bounce back well, Southampton would be getting a tremendous defender and one with great experience in the Premier League.

Indeed, as the Saints would be looking to avoid another relegation, a player of Matip's calibre, if he gets back to anything close to his best, would be a very strong addition.