The free Liverpool favorite could return to Anfield next season in a surprise twist

Joel Matip is reportedly eyeing a return to the Premier League following his move from Liverpool, with Bournemouth a surprise candidate for the defender’s signature.

A week ago today, the 32-year-old bid a tearful farewell to Anfield after a trophy-laden eight-year spell as one of the biggest free signings in recent memory – if not all time . Unfortunately, he was unable to play against Wolves due to an ACL injury that ruled him out for most of the 2023/24 campaign, although the Liverpool supporters’ love for the player was still on full display.

Hoping for the best for Matip, fans are anxiously waiting to see if he can secure a deal with another club to play again once fully recovered. What he might not have expected is that instead of moving back to Germany or elsewhere, he could stay so close to home.

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The Express claim it is the Cameroonian’s desire to remain in the English top flight and Bournemouth are hoping to capitalize on this opening in the market. The Cherries themselves are about to lose Lloyd Kelly to Newcastle United as his contract also expires, so they will be looking to make a direct replacement by adding a Premier League and Champions League winner to their ranks.

That could put Matip in line for a hero’s return to Merseyside in the upcoming Anfield meetings between Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola’s sides, and could make sense given it was the centre-back’s desire to retire with the Reds before the club’s decision.

“With these absolute top conditions, you don’t just walk away (from Liverpool),” he said last September. “Besides, I feel incredibly comfortable here in my private life. I think it is desirable not to change clubs all the time. But everyone has to decide for themselves. In any case, I find consistency useful.

“I’m at an age where I don’t think so much about the future anymore. I try to make the most of every day and not look too far ahead. If it was just these two clubs in the end, I’d be perfectly happy, but in football you never know exactly.