Pranav Nair
Transfer News: Liverpool steal a march on Manchester United for Ibrahima Konate
In some bad news, Manchester United appear to have fallen behind Liverpool in the transfer race to land RB Leipzig ace Ibrahima Konate.
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), the Merseysiders appear to be in the final stages of concluding a deal for the Frenchman.
The 21-year-old is one of the finest defenders in his age group and has a relatively modest €40million release clause. Although Leipzig are under no pressure to sell, they might just have to if the release clause is triggered.
Although there is still work to be done, Liverpool appear to have made a head start in securing who they see as a key recruit in the upcoming window. Leipzig are aware of the interest and will have no option but to permit Liverpool to talk to Konate once his release clause is triggered.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have faced a season of woes at the back with respect to injuries. There is yet no timeframe on the return of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip so far. It comes as no surprise that the Merseysiders are keen to shore up what is clearly a weak spot.
The same cannot be said of United who are also keeping tabs on the player. The Red Devils have also failed to impress at the back and could do with defensive reinforcement. However, there’s no concrete effort from our side yet to steal a march on our rivals.
A shrewd buy!
Konate has often been overshadowed by the more illustrious Dayot Upamceano. The latter is set to join Bayern Munich in the summer.
The Frenchman is a beast in the air and has put up numbers not too dissimilar to that of Upamecano. Still just 21, there is a long way to go in his career and could prove to be a shrewd acquisition.
More Manchester United News
- Roy Keane tells Harry Kane to leave Tottenham Hotspur as Manchester United links continue
- Juventus to offer Paulo Dybala to Manchester United in exchange for Paul Pogba
- Manchester United captain Harry Maguire reveals cordial relations with City defender John Stone
Whether United can make a late push to steal Konate remains to be seen. While we stand still, our opponents already appear to be planning ahead. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cannot afford to go into next season without reinforcing his backline.
