It was believed that Konate, who is nearing the end of his contract, would agree a new contract with the Merseysiders. However, negotiations have stalled and Konate is set to leave the club. Express Sport has therefore selected several options for Liverpool to replace him ahead of the new season.
Maybe they already have a replacement for him? In the end, Liverpool put pen to paper to sign Jeremy Jacquet in the January transfer window, with an eye on a summer arrival. The youngster is highly rated but could be a big ask considering he has no Premier League experience and will be joining the team directly with the aim of challenging for the title.
One man who boasts Premier League experience and knows exactly what it’s like to win the Premier League is Jarrell Quansah. The English player left Liverpool last summer for Bayer Leverkusen, but the 20-time champions have included a release clause in his contract. The bad news is that this summer’s transfer fee is worth £70m, which may be considered a high price considering Liverpool sold him for £35m.
Giovanni Leoni’s return will likely feel like a new contract, considering the youngster only played once before suffering a cruciate ligament injury. Leoni, who missed all games this season, should be fit for the new season, which should help strengthen the six-time European champions’ defensive options.
And finally, Micky van de Ven is still considered one of the best central defenders in the Premier League, despite being one of the worst defenders in the league. The Dutchman has been linked with a move away from the north London outfit after a disastrous season at Tottenham. With Konate’s departure, Liverpool are expected to be down on the strength of their defenders, so perhaps the Anfield side will turn to Van de Ven to fill the gap at the back.
