Liverpool face the possibility of losing Ibrahima Konate this summer after his contract expires, but Bayern Munich are ready to challenge Real Madrid for his signature
Bayern Munich are in the race to sign Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool, with the French defender currently available to move on a free transfer next summer.
The centre-half has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, who acquired Trent Alexander-Arnold from the Reds when his contract expired in the summer. Kylian Mbappé is another high-profile player who joined the Bernabéu on a free transfer in recent years, and Los Blancos are currently keeping an eye on Konate.
However, Bild newspaper reported that Bayern have been in touch with Konate’s entourage and are interested in bringing him back to the Bundesliga, where he made a name for himself at RB Leipzig before moving to Liverpool.
What happens next could depend on whether Dayot Upamecano remains at the Allianz Arena. Like Konate, Upamecano’s contract is due to expire this summer and Bayern could step up efforts to sign the Liverpool star if he chooses to leave Bayern.
Real have options for players such as Eder Militao, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger in the heart of their defence, but are still considering the possibility of bringing in Konate.
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Last year, Liverpool found themselves constantly answering questions about player contracts. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk extended their contracts for the second half of the season, but Alexander-Arnold announced later that day that he was heading to pastures new.
Konate, who cost £36 million, made 147 appearances for the Reds but fended off criticism over his performances, fueling the narrative that his heart was on his next move. But Arne Slott was quick to defend the Frenchman, insisting he was not alone in struggling to find form.
“When you’re losing a football match, you can’t afford to lose the ball so easily. He (Konate) was one of them, but he’s definitely not the only one. Then when you lose a football match, you focus so much on the moment that all of a sudden the 90 minutes become very poor.”
“That’s not how I analyze the game. It was clear in the last two games that we made some mistakes that we are not used to, not only him (Konate) but also other players.”
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