Barcelona have held talks to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, and he wouldn't be opposed to the idea of joining the La Liga giants, according to a report from Sempre Barca.
Konate's future has been a topic of discussion during the summer transfer window, primarily because his contract expires next summer. The Reds have a big decision to make on the French international, as there's a chance he could leave on a free transfer if they are unable to convince him to sign a new deal at Anfield.
We could see a similar situation to what happened to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has now joined Real Madrid, so Liverpool have to consider cashing in to try and avoid him leaving for nothing. The Merseyside club won't want to lose him without finding a replacement, but clubs are beginning to show an interest in securing his signature in the summer transfer window.
Barcelona Hold Talks to Sign Liverpool Defender Konate
Ibrahima Konate
According to a report from Sempre Barca, Barcelona have held preliminary talks with Konate's camp, and they've discovered that the Liverpool defender wouldn't be opposed to joining the La Liga giants. However, it's also claimed that Konate's priority is to remain at Liverpool for now, waiting to understand his role and importance, and if the Premier League side will give him a new contract to try and convince him to stay at Anfield.
It's claimed that Liverpool would demand in the region of £44m to allow Konate to depart this summer, but Barcelona would only be willing to invest that amount if contract negotiations between the two parties completely break down. Deco remains in contact with Konate's camp, and they are actively pursuing the French international.
Losing Konate, who has been described as 'sensational' by journalist Ben Bocsak, would be a bit of a disaster at the moment, with Virgil Van Dijk and Konate their only senior centre-back options as it stands. Joe Gomez is a backup option, but he's been struggling with injuries, and they also lost young defender Jarrel Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the window.
The Merseyside club need to bring in a new centre-back, rather than lose one, although they are closing in on the signing of Giovanni Leoni from Parma, with GIVEMESPORT correspondent Fabrizio Romano confirming that they've agreed a deal to secure his signature.
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