Liverpool will wait until the summer to sign Ibrahima Konaté

Liverpool will wait until the summer to sign their prefered centre-back Ibrahima Konaté.

SB Nation website Liverpool Offside have done some digging and listened to Rory Smith, a journalist for The New York Times, talk about the club’s plans in the next transfer window.

Smith was talking on The Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast and mentioned that Jurgen Klopp might face his next central defender in the Champions League.

Liverpool will play RB Leipzig, who have one outstanding and well-known centre-back in Dayot Upamecano. Many Reds fans would be delighted with the signing of Upamecano, who has taken Europe by storm since he moved to Leipzig from France.

Ibrahima Konaté, his 21-year-old defensive partner, is starting to attract just as much attention. Konaté moved to Leipzig from Sochaux for free in 2017, and has played 86 games in those three years.

According to Smith, it’s Konaté that Liverpool is interested in.

He’s also been a key part of the German side’s Champions League campaign this season and has played all six games, but is currently sidelined with an ankle injury that has caused him to miss the last six games in the Bundesliga.

Transfermarkt value the centre-back at £36 million, so it might take a fairly large bid to prize the French U21 international away from Leipzig. The club, too, might not be willing sellers if someone meets Upamecano’s release clause.

Liverpool are making plans for Ibrahima Konaté

Liverpool, though, definitely need to bring in another centre-back. FSG have always looked long-term, but now they need a focus change to ensure this team can qualify for the Champions League and relaunch their Premier League title bid.

We’ve seen some rumours that the club may move for West Ham’s unwanted Issa Diop, but they have proven to be unfounded, while Liverpool recently missed out on one of their targets that was available for free.

So it seems like we’re going to have to sit still and wait for more news about this.