The agent of Liverpool centre back Ibrahima Konaté has held talks not only with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain but Bayern Munich as well, reports in Germany state.
This summer could see a whole host of big-name defenders on the move, with Konaté one of several players approaching the end of their contracts—that means he can be snapped up in the summer without the need to pay a transfer fee.
Liverpool are hoping to extend Konaté’s contract but the France international is a well-known target for Real Madrid and PSG. BILD add that Bayern have now joined the race for his signature.
The Bavarian giants are said to have reached out to Konaté’s agents to discuss a possible switch to the Allianz Arena next summer while they battle a conundrum involving their own centre back, Dayot Upamecano.
Bayern want to agree an extension with Upamecano but if they do lose the Frenchman, who is known to have admirers at both Liverpool and Real Madrid, they will likely need to find a replacement. The future of Kim Min-jae could also weigh into Bayern’s thinking.
Sporting director Christoph Freund has openly admitted retaining Upamecano, rather than replacing him, is the club’s top priority, but talks over the defender’s contract have so far proven fruitless.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi is named as another target for Bayern, who also held talks with the England international’s camp recently. Predictably, both Liverpool and Madrid are known to be keen on Guéhi as well.
Konaté to Make Final Decision on Liverpool Future
As Konaté approaches the final six months of his contract, he will soon be able to speak formally with clubs across the world over a new deal which, given the usual nature of free transfers, will likely be more lucrative than an extension with Liverpool would be.
Reports claim Konaté is seeking a contract comparable to those given to high earners like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah which, as it stands, has not arrived. According to Fabrizio Romano, however, the lines of communication between Liverpool and Konaté’s camp remains open.
Much will depend on the player himself. Konaté is in a rare position in which he can choose from his pick of clubs across Europe, with Liverpool not believed to be ruled out at this point.
Suitors will demand answers soon, however. Those clubs looking to sign Konaté will be keen to know whether they have a genuine shot at striking a deal or whether they are better off trying to land one of the other targets available.
Guéhi and Upamecano are two high-profile alternatives attracting interest from the same group of clubs. The former is almost certain to be changing clubs this summer, while Bayern are working towards a positive resolution with the latter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Holding Talks’—Three Clubs Meet With Ibrahima Konate’s Camp About Liverpool Exit.
