Liverpool, Manchester United interested in signing €45m French centre-back – originally posted on Sportslens.com
RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate is on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea ahead of this summer’s transfer window, a report from SportBild claims.
The 21-year-old has had a difficult 18 months due to a series of injuries, making just 24 appearances for Leipzig since the start of last term.
He recently returned from an ankle injury which kept him out of action for six weeks but he still appears on the radar of some of the Premier League’s elite teams.
Konate has a release clause worth €45 million in his contract expiring in June 2023 and Leipzig believe that Liverpool, United and Chelsea are all interested in signing him this summer.
Sportslens view:
Despite his injuries, Konate has turned out 87 times for Leipzig and he has impressed with his tackling and ability to win duels with his strong aerial presence.
He has the traits to adapt to Premier League football and all of the above-mentioned clubs are likely to keep a close eye on him.
United have had their deficiencies at the back this term and they are on the search for a solid centre-back partner for Harry Maguire.
Victor Lindelof has been criticised by some fans for his positioning while Eric Bailly’s injury record has hampered his chances of claiming a regular spot.
The Blues are also likely to invest in another centre-back with new manager Thomas Tuchel due to make signings of his own this summer.
Thiago Silva has been a solid signing for them on a free transfer but they need to look into the future with the Brazilian already 36 and is only a stop-gap option.
Meanwhile, the Reds recently brought in Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak (on an initial loan) from Preston North End and Schalke 04 to bolster their central defence.
The trio of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are currently injured for the season, but they should be fit in time for the next campaign.
The Merseyside outfit are likely to make changes after a poor defence of their league title but Konate may want the assurance of regular game time to join them.
All three clubs will be monitoring Konate’s fitness for the rest of the campaign before contemplating whether to trigger the buy-out clause to sign him.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com