Liverpool’s first player summer departure confirmed; fans will be gutted

Jurgen Klopp is not the only man leaving Liverpool this summer, with most of his coaching staff following the German out the exit door and now our first player is going too.

As confirmed by @LFC on X: ‘Joel Matip will bid farewell to the Reds this summer after an eight-season spell during which he helped the club to some of its most memorable modern moments.’

After missing most of this campaign with a knee injury sustained against Fulham, we haven’t seen the defender since December.

An eight-year stint in our side has been filled with joy, trophies and injuries, with most fans surely looking back at the career of our No.32 with nothing but a broad smile.

Joel Matip has competed with some serious competition to play alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of our defence but a tally of 201 appearances shows how important the 32-year-old has been.

Being part of every trophy won since the legendary manager arrived on Merseyside shows how much of an end of era this moment is for so many people.

Although we all want the final day of the campaign to be dedicated to saying farewell to the German, the departure of a fan favourite will also surely be marked by the supporters present.

However events unfold on Sunday, it’s going to be a day for tears and tissues for so many different reasons.

You can view the confirmation that Matip is leaving Liverpool via @LFC on X: