RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate has played down reports suggesting a potential £35 million move to Liverpool is imminent, speaking to L’Equipe.
Five weeks after Bayern Munich finally pulled back the curtain on the worst-kept secret in European football – confirming Dayot Upamecano’s summer switch to the Allianz Arena – reports have emerged suggesting his Leipzig sparring partner is also heading for the exit.
The Athletic certainly got chins wagging this morning, claiming Konate was in advanced talks over a move that would see him become Jurgen Klopp’s first summer signing.
The France U21 international has a £35 million release clause in his contract and, like Upamecano, it felt only a matter of time before offers started to roll in.
After all, Konate is one of the first names on Julian Nagelsmann’s Leipzig team sheet, the commanding, 6ft 4in cog at the heart of the Bundesliga’s most watertight back line.
After 26 games, Leipzig have conceded a remarkable 16 fewer goals than league leaders Bayern Munich.
But, after being inundated with questions surrounding a much-mooted switch to the 2019 European champions, Konate reached for the water jug rather than the petrol can.
“I woke up (and) saw my phone ringing all over the place. I just wanted to tell them: ‘Hey, I played yesterday, I’m tired, leave me alone!’” quips Konate, who started alongside Jules Kounde as France beat Russia 2-0 at the U21 European Championships.
“Frankly, I don’t even watch (the transfer speculation).
“We can’t focus on that, there is the Euro and then my return to (Leipzig). You have to focus on that and not on the external things.”
Of course, Konate didn’t exactly rule anything out at this stage. But, with the Bundesliga title still up for grabs and the U21 Euros now under way, the Liverpool target is keen to stay focused on the here and now.
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