RB Leipzig are willing to sell Ibrahima Konate for as little as £22 million amid claims suggesting the French defender wants to join Liverpool this summer, as reported by AS.
The Anfield faithful may have been disappointed to see Dayot Upamecano seal a big-money switch to Bayern Munich instead of Liverpool. But the arrival of another Red Bull Arena favourite would be some consolation.
According to Sports World, 6ft 4in Konate is “very tempted” by the prospect of joining the reigning Premier League champions in the upcoming transfer window.
Classy and commanding in equal measure, avid Bundesliga fanatics will tell you the 21-year-old is a more reliable defender than the more high-profile Upamecano, even if Konate lacks his teammate’s wondrous passing range.
Furthermore, Konate is more comfortable on the right of a centre-back partnership. Upamecano, meanwhile, has made a name for himself in the same left-sided role a certain Virgil van Dijk occupies.
Bayern were forced to trigger a hefty release clause to take Upamecano away from their Bundesliga title rivals. But, according to reports coming out of Spain, Leipzig would be willing to negotiate a lower fee for Konate.
AS claims the France U21 international could be available for as little as £22 million – about £20 million less than the clause in his contract.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is apparently a big fan of his Paris-born compatriot, eyeing Konate as a priority target should Raphael Varane or Sergio Ramos leave the La Liga winners.
In today’s market, when Harry Maguire costs £80 million and the likes of Ben White are valued at £50 million-plus, £22 million for Konate feels like an opportunity too good to be missed.
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