Chelsea reportedly remain interested in signing RB Leipzig’s towering defender Ibrahima Konate and may have an ace up their sleeve to clinch his signing.
According to an update from BILD’s Head of Football, Christian Falk on Twitter, Premier League giants Chelsea retain an interest in signing RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate in the summer transfer window.
Having been with RB Leipzig since 2017, whom he joined from French outfit FC Sochaux, the 21-year-old Konate has shown a lot of promise and potential in his time at the club. Even though the Frenchman has had to battle with injuries over the past couple of campaigns, Konate’s stock remains high as ever, with a host of clubs across Europe interested in him.
Indeed, Konate has been linked with the likes of, Liverpool and Manchester United not so long ago along with Chelsea while fellow Premier League club Arsenal have also been credited with a major interest in the towering centre-back.
Now, Falk has gone on to reaffirm Chelsea’s standing on the Leipzig star, insisting that the Blues remain interested in signing Konate.
Chelsea strengthened their backline last summer with the signing of Thiago Silva in the summer on a free transfer when his contract with PSG had expired. The Brazilian has made a telling impact at Stamford Bridge since his arrival, but at 36 he is in the final stages of his career and will need to be replaced on a long-term basis.
Throw in the uncertainty surrounding the future of Fikayo Tomori, who left Chelsea for AC Milan on loan in January and could make the deal permanent, and it is understandable as to why the west London outfit are looking to bolster their defence once the next transfer window comes across, even though they have shown tremendous solidity under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
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And, Falk further goes on to add that Chelsea may have a secret weapon to convince Konate to move to Stamford Bridge. Tuchel’s assistant coach, Zsolt Lw worked with the 21-year-old Frenchman at RB Leipzig and knows him well, which could prove to be beneficial for the Blues to snap him up from the Bundesliga outfit.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea do act on their interest in Konate come summer. But if they do make a move, they might have an advantage over the other suitors, thanks to Low’s presence.
