Former Liverpool defender Phil Babb thinks summer signing Joel Matip is becoming a monster under Jurgen Klopp and will be perfectly suited for the Premier League.
Matip, who put in another impressive display in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, joined the Merseyside giants on a free transfer from Schalke in the summer.
The Cameroon international has thus far made nine appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, helping the club to keep three clean sheets.
Matip, who is a tall player, is comfortable on the ball, and Babb feels the 25-year-old is also bulking up, which will make him a formidable defender in the Premier League, a league renowned for its physicality.
“What I noticed about him, certainly when I was down pitchside, when you get close to him, he is very tall”, Babb explained on LFC TV.
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“When I first saw him at Tranmere in pre-season I thought he looked very skinny.
“But he is starting to fill out now. He's putting on a bit of muscle across the top, across the chest, his legs are filling out.
“So all of a sudden you've got that height, a very intelligent player, very calm on the ball – you're going to get a very good Premier League footballer.”
Matip, who progressed through Schalke’s youth system, went on to amass 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, scoring 23 times.
He also has 27 caps and a goal for Cameroon to his name since making his senior international debut in March 2010.
