Joel Matip insists that choosing to leave Schalke for Liverpool was not an easy decision.

Schalke confirmed earlier today that Matip will join Liverpool when his contract with the club expires in the summer, despite the Ruhr giants' best efforts to keep him.




The Cameroon international, who has played for Schalke for his entire career, says that he would only have ever left the club for an adventure abroad, so attached is he to the German side.

Matip told Schalke's site: "I have always said that I would bid farewell to Schalke for only one reason, to get to know something new.
 


"Therefore, a change in the Bundesliga was never under consideration. Although the decision was definitely not easy, I am convinced that now is the right time to take this step", the centre-back added.

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Meanwhile, Liverpool have at their end confirmed that Matip will join in the summer, the defender arriving to bolster the club's defensive options.

The English giants announced: "Liverpool Football Club can confirm they have reached an agreement to sign Cameroon defender Joel Matip."

Matip is a player Reds boss Jurgen Klopp knows well from his time managing in the Bundesliga and will hope that the Schalke stalwart can hope to tighten up a defence which has conceded all too often this term.