Matip completes switch to Liverpool from Schalke

Liverpool unveiled Joel Matip on Saturday after the defender signed a long-term contract from FC Schalke 04 - four months after the agreement between the two clubs was originally announced.

"The centre-back's long-term contract with the Reds has begun following the conclusion of his previous deal with Bundesliga side FC Schalke," the Premier League side said in a statement.

The 24-year-old will join his new teammates at the team's Melwood training ground Saturday for the summer's first pre-season training session.

In February, Schalke revealed that Matip would leave at the conclusion of his contract, with the defender admitting it was time for him to explore a new opportunity to advance his career.

"I have always said that there is only one reason I would leave Schalke - to experience something completely new," Matip said. "For that reason, I never considered a move to another Bundesliga club. Even though the decision wasn't easy, I am certain that this is the right moment for me to take the next step in my career."

Matip scored three goals while appearing in all 34 of Schalke's Bundesliga matches last season.