Liverpool have reportedly completed the deal to sign Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig for £32 million, with the announcement imminent.
According to British journalist Leah Smith, Liverpool are on the cusp of officially announcing the capture of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig. The deal for the 21-year-old French defender is worth £32 million, with the transfer set to be formally announced next month.
Konate is widely regarded as one of the most promising young defenders plying their trades in the Bundesliga at the moment. Along with compatriot and RB Leipzig teammate Dayot Upamecano, the 21-year-old is also a part of the constantly growing French contingent of prospects in European football at the moment.
While injuries have restricted the youngster to just 92 appearances in four seasons with Leipzig, he is still rated tremendously highly; so much so, that Konate has been heavily linked with a number of top clubs across Europe for some time now. However, it is Liverpool who have been leading the race to sign him for the better part of April.
News of Liverpool’s interest in Konate first broke at the end of last month and it has since been reported that they had even moved quickly to reach a verbal agreement with Konate. While there had been suggestions that the Reds were facing competition from other clubs, it never seemed like they were losing out on the Frenchman.
Recent developments pointed towards Liverpool tabling a five-year deal for Konate, and it now looks like they are set to snap him up in a £32 million deal. In fact, as per the claims by Leah Smith, the transfer is a done deal, with the Reds set to make the announcement in the coming month.
The interest in Konate makes a great deal of sense as well, considering Liverpool did not replace Dejan Lovren last summer, which was followed by the collapse of their defensive unit owing to the long-term injuries sustained by Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
While Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies were signed in the January transfer window, there are no guarantees whatsoever that the former will join on a permanent deal this summer, while the latter is yet to make a single appearance for Liverpool. As a result, it is prudent for Liverpool to identify possible central defensive solutions, which made Konate a viable target.
A £32 million deal is now set to be completed in the coming weeks, with May 1 stipulated to be the announcement date. What now remains to be seen is if the transfer is officially announced soon, which will then set in motion Konate’s stint at Liverpool.