Ibrahima Konate’s name has been doing the rounds of the Chelsea rumour mill over the last few days. The French centre-back is set to become a free agent. It is an interesting turn of events for sure. It had looked like he was close to agreeing on an extension with Liverpool. But now, that is no longer the case and instead, he will be leaving Anfield this summer.
It is no secret that Chelsea will be looking to sign a centre-back or two this summer. On top of that, it has been mentioned consistently that they want ‘ready-made’ and ‘Premier League-prove’ players this summer.
Well, Konate ticks both those boxes and plenty more. He has won things at Liverpool and played in big games for France, including the World Cup final. Yet, he is still just 27 years of age. Signing him right now, especially as a free agent, could be a masterstroke.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Konate will now assess options to pick his next club with four possibilities open. He is free to choose his destination without Liverpool involved.
Why Ibrahima Konate would be a good signing for Chelsea
We have already talked about the experience factor when it comes to Konate. But there is a lot more to like about his game as well.
He is solid defensively, more than decent with the ball at his feet and can even contribute going forward. Yes, he does make the odd mistake from time to time, but there is no doubt that he is significantly better than most of the centre-back options available to Chelsea right now, perhaps with the exception of Levi Colwill.
Also, he has proven that he can be part of a winning unit. This is something that gets overlooked at times. A lot of players can look good in teams that are mediocre or bad. But can they fit into one that wins consistently? Konate has shown that he can do that, winning several trophies with Liverpool and even reaching the Champions League final.
Then there is the fact that he could be available as a free agent. That is what makes this move a no-brainer for a club that needs to strengthen this summer but do not have a massive budget to do that.
Why Konate move might not happen
First of all, you cannot overlook the Real Madrid rumours. They have a habit of convincing top players to join them as free agents. It would not come as a surprise if they are able to pull it off with Konate as well.
Second is the wage structure in place at Chelsea. It definitely makes it difficult for the club to go out and recruit top talents in their prime years, as they want the biggest contract possible. That is not readily available at Stamford Bridge.
One would imagine that Konate being available as a free agent, could give Chelsea some extra room to work with in this respect. Let’s see how this plays out.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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