Manchester United target Ibrahima Konate prefers a move to Chelsea
According to German publication Bild (h/t The Mirror), Chelsea have the edge over Manchester United for Bundesliga defender Ibrahima Konate.
The 21-year-old has formed an impressive partnership with Bayern Munich bound Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the Leipzig defence. He is also a regular for the France Under-21 side.
The player’s performances have garnered much interest from the Premier League. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all keeping tabs on his current progress.
However, it would appear that it is the Blues who hold the edge thanks to Thomas Tuchel. One of the members of the German’s staff, assistant coach Zsolt Low has an excellent relationship with Konate and could swing the deal in their favour.
Zsolt served as an assistant at Leipzig for three years. This included Konate’s debut season in Germany in 2017. Although the Hungarian left to work under Tuchel at PSG in 2018, he continued to be in touch with the player.
Konate is believed to have a release clause of £38million. His current contract at Leipzig runs for another two-and-a-half years.
United are in desperate need of a new defender and have seen targets such as Upamecano and Alaba move elsewhere. While Konate is not as polished as the former, he remains a player of high calibre who can be moulded into a dominating defender.
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Zsolt’s presence could very well help swing the race in Chelsea’s favour. However, United could make a case for themselves if they go on to finish second in the league, while also winning a trophy or two.
The club has shown progress under Solskjaer. Now they must also prove they have what it takes to go all the way. Success, after all, attracts success.
