West Ham tipped to battle Fulham in frantic race to land former Champions League winner

Fulham are said to have joined their Premier League rivals West Ham in the race to sign former Liverpool defender Joel Matip, who became a free agent at the end of the 2023/24 season following the expiration of his Anfield contract.

The latest report from Football Insider has claimed that West Ham, Fulham, Bournemouth and Wolves are all interested in signing the central defender who has made 150 Premier League appearances for the Reds.

While signing the 33-year-old would evidently bring in a lot of experience into a squad, Fulham and West Ham both strengthened their central defensive options in the summer transfer window: Marco Silva brought in ex-Crystal Palace star Joachim Andersen to Craven Cottage while Julen Lopetegui added Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to his squad.

However, it would appear that the two London clubs are still hopeful of finding further cover in that area with the race to sign the ex-Liverpool star heating up. Additionally, being able to sign such a calibre of player on a free transfer would prove a phenomenal piece of business from the lucky recipient of Matip’s signature, despite his recent injury woes.

It’s not just teams in the Premier League that are reportedly hopeful of welcoming Matip to their squads, however, with the report also noting rising interest from clubs in Europe. In fact, the central defender reportedly held talks with clubs in France and Germany over a potential deal but is yet to sign a contract with anyone.

Matip is an exceptionally experienced footballer, having won the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League during his four year spell with Liverpool. He is also a former DFB-Pokal and DFL Supercup winner following his seven year stint with Schalke 04, for whom he made nearly 200 Bundesliga appearances.

For all clubs said to be interested in the Cameroon international, there still remain concerns over Matip’s fitness as he made just 14 appearances last season with Liverpool due to a cruciate ligament injury he sustained in December 2023. It remains to be seen whether he is able to recover from his injury nightmares but there is no doubt of his top-quality abilities when fit and on form.