Joel Matip will reportedly be given the opportunity to secure an emotional return to Germany, while his former Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson has been tipped to join a different Premier League club.
Matip is a free agent after leaving Liverpool when his contract expired at the end of last season. The centre-back, who established himself as a cult hero at Anfield thanks to his marauding runs from defence, has since been linked with a number of clubs.
Bayer Leverkusen looked into signing him on a free transfer, while Everton were tipped to complete a shock deal for him at one stage.
West Ham United, Fulham and Bournemouth have all held talks with Matip’s entourage, though he remains without a club.
According to German outlet Bild, Schalke ‘dream’ of reuniting with the Champions League and Premier League winner.
The Bundesliga 2 outfit played a crucial role in developing Matip, and he made 258 first-team appearances for them before joining Liverpool in July 2016.
Schalke have since been relegated to Germany’s second tier, though club chiefs are hoping to secure a ‘mega coup’ by landing him on a free transfer.
Schalke officials previously held discussions with Matip and his camp when he first left Liverpool, but the two parties could not strike an agreement. They are still keeping tabs on the 33-year-old though and feel they can convince him to return to action around January.
Bild state that there are two possibilities for a potential transfer. Matip could either join Schalke for the long run and complete a fairytale end to his career by starring for the club once again before hanging up his boots.
Alternatively, Matip could join Schalke on a six-month deal to put himself in the shop window for a bigger move next summer.
Matip, Henderson could both be on the move
Meanwhile, Darren Bent has predicted ex-Liverpool captain Henderson to make an impact, should he come back to English football.
The midfielder joined Ajax from Saudi side Al-Ettifaq in January, but it emerged over the weekend that Sunderland and several Premier League clubs have registered their interest in him.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, Bent talked up the possibility of Henderson going back to boyhood club Sunderland.
“I mean, he’s 34, but I still think he could definitely do a job in the Premier League, 100 per cent – he looks after himself,” the former striker said.
“I just feel going back to Sunderland makes sense, you know what I mean?
“That’s his club, that’s where he started, that’s where I played with him, and I’m sure the fans would love him back.
“He’s had an unbelievable career when you look back at what he’s won, what he’s done, he’s competed for England, he’s had an incredible career.
“So I think for Sunderland fans it’s almost like a homecoming, and I think that’d be really nice for him to go there.”
When asked if Henderson will regret his decision to leave Liverpool in summer 2023, Bent added: “I think you’re always going to regret leaving a club like that.
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“Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I think you’ll always think, ‘Do I really want to?’ But was it [Jurgen] Klopp said that he wasn’t going to get as many minutes as he’d like?
“I think with what he’s achieved and what he’s wanted to achieve in his career, going back to Sunderland would be a really, really nice way to… not so much end it, because I still think he’s got a good three or four years left.
“He looks after himself, so he could still play when he’s 37.”
Liverpool news: Neville praise, Alexander-Arnold replacements
Meanwhile, Man Utd legends Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney have praised Liverpool for their great start to the season.
After Rooney named Liverpool as the team who have caught his eye most in the Premier League this term, Neville said: “That back five, to be fair, has probably played together more than any other back five for a long time, it feels like.
“You’ve got [Andy] Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, [Ibrahima] Konate and [Virgil] Van Dijk. Some will say Konate’s not played every game but it feels like that back five, along with Alisson, is quite solid.”
Liverpool still have not finalised a new contract for Real Madrid target Alexander-Arnold, though.
The Reds have reportedly drawn up a three-man shortlist of right-back replacements, should Alexander-Arnold move on.
Their top target is Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen as he is known for his ability to chip in with goals and assists, similar to Alexander-Arnold.
Monaco star Vanderson and Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode are the other full-backs Liverpool are monitoring.
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