If the staff at Liverpool had to pinpoint their one main regret from 2020/21, it would surely be that they went into the season with only three senior centre-backs in the squad after the injury problems they faced.
While the Reds were still able to finish third in the league, it seems clear the club are determined not to face the same issues next season and want to add to Jurgen Klopp’s options without delay.
And the ECHO understands that Liverpool are close to signing Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig, a man believed to be the Reds' primary target, in a deal that could be worth around £36million.
Another journalist who expects the deal to go through is Guido Schafer, a former player who was in the team at Mainz with Klopp and now covers Leipzig.
He spoke about Konate on the Under The Radar podcast from Blood Red back in March and was very complementary about the defender who turned 22 on Tuesday.
"He is tall, fast, good technique and he is a little bit of Virgil van Dijk,” was Schafer’s view, and that’s a description guaranteed to pique the interest of any Kopite.
The Reds have had a strong relationship with the Red Bull group in recent times, buying Naby Keita and Takumi Minamino from their clubs in the last three years, while – a little further back – loaning them Peter Gulacsi and Andre Wisdom.
If the deal is completed, what will Konate bring to the club? While he’s still young, his injury record is something of a red flag following a season in which the Reds had to utilise 20 different centre-back pairings in all competitions.
After making 43 appearances in 2018/19, the French under-21 international only made 11 last season and recorded 21 (with 14 starts) in 2020/21. That must be an area of some concern.
There are plenty of positives though. Schafer’s claim regarding Konate’s pace has been backed up in a separate article on The Athletic, which noted he is among the three quickest centre-backs in Europe’s biggest five leagues, and that’s even after the injuries he has suffered.
That makes him an ideal candidate for the high line which Klopp likes to employ, where recovery pace is essential.
Konate’s statistics also suggest that he is strong in the air, at least by Bundesliga standards, as he has won 74.7 per cent of his aerial duels across the last four seasons ( per FBRef ). Only five players in Germany bettered his figure of 75 per cent in 2020/21.
While that does not match Van Dijk’s 81 per cent win rate from the last two full Premier League seasons, it is higher than any Liverpool player other than Rhys Williams managed this term.
He also has a fine record for pressuring opposition players, which is essential when playing for a Klopp team and helps explain why Liverpool hold a consistent interest in Red Bull men.
Konate was ranked fourth in the Bundesliga three seasons ago for pressure success rate ( per FBRef ) and across the last four seasons his record is 37.2 per cent.
It’s partly a process of team efficiency, as a successful pressure requires anyone to regain possession within five seconds and not just the player themselves, but as his rate is above Liverpool’s average for the last four seasons (31.2 per cent, the ninth best in the top five leagues) then he should fit in nicely.
One other eye-catching aspect of Konate’s statistical profile is his ability to advance the ball up the pitch, which is something Liverpool have lacked a little since their established centre-backs went down injured.
He has been in the top two percent of centre-backs from the big leagues for completed dribbles per 90 minutes over the last year ( per FBRef ) and he has a good record for progressive carries.
These are defined as those carries which advance the ball towards the opposition goal by at least five yards, and begin beyond the defensive 40 percent of the pitch.
Joel Matip averaged 4.9 per 90 minutes and Joe Gomez 4.2 this season, while van Dijk recorded 3.6 in 2019/20.
But beyond them Nat Phillips’ average was 2.9 and Williams’ was only 1.9. Konate has recorded 4.4 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, so has been far more in line with what the regular centre-backs traditionally offer.
And fitness issues aside, there are clearly multiple reasons why a defender with Konate’s skillset would undoubtedly be of interest to Liverpool.
*An earlier version of the article was originally published in March 2021.
