Michael Edwards was the driving force behind Liverpool defender Joel Matip signing a new long-term deal at Anfield, according to Football Insider.
The reputable football outlet claim on their website that the Reds’ director of football pushed for the 28-year-old to be handed a contract worth up to £120,000-a-week.
Football Insider report that the Cameroon international is set to start against Manchester United on Sunday after putting pen to paper on a five-year extension that will see him remain in Merseyside until he is 33-years-old.
Matip’s deal is said to be worth up to a total of £31million after becoming a mainstay in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
OPINION
Edwards just doesn’t seem to be able to put a foot wrong at Liverpool. The director of football has pulled off another masterclass by being the driving force behind a new deal for Matip, and it is fully deserved for the African enforcer. Matip has been world-class at the back for the Reds and has fully cemented his place in the side alongside Virgil van Dijk, and his new contract represents his worth to Klopp’s side. The 28-year-old will hand his side a massive boost by returning to full fitness for the trip to Old Trafford, and his added physicality will play a big part in the Reds’ bid to equal the Premier League record for most consecutive wins. Klopp has struggled for consistency in the heart of his defence since arriving at Anfield, but this deal all but cements Matip’s place as one of the first names on the teamsheet going forward.
