Ibrahima Konate emerges as ‘priority target’ for Al-Ittihad

Ibrahima Konate is reportedly a ‘precedence goal’ for one membership in Saudi Arabia as he prepares to go away Liverpool after 5 years on Merseyside.

On Friday, it emerged that the 27-year-old will depart the Reds on the finish of his present contract, which expires in a month’s time, having been unable to succeed in a closing settlement on phrases with the Anfield hierarchy.

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Regardless of the Frenchman’s optimistic noises just a few weeks in the past, there in the end proved to be too large a disparity between what he needed and what the membership have been ready to supply him, with the defender having sought a pay rise to deliver him according to LFC’s highest-earning gamers (The Athletic).

Konate coveted by Al-Ittihad

In response to Foot Mercato, Konate has now grow to be a ‘precedence goal’ for Saudi Professional League outfit Al-Ittihad as they search to reap the benefits of his standing as a free agent following his exit from Liverpool.

The report claims that the centre-back is ‘unlikely to be in need of presents’ coming into the summer season, with Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain additionally named as potential suitors.

Nonetheless, whereas he’s extremely coveted by the Jeddah-based membership, they’re at the moment going via a interval of ‘important instability behind the scenes’, with head coach Sergio Conceicao anticipated to go away and a brand new sporting director projected to return in alongside ‘a number of adjustments’ at boardroom degree.

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Konate might be a large loss to Liverpool

Konate is leaving one membership in a state of flux (with Liverpool now searching for a brand new head coach to exchange Arne Slot) and doubtlessly becoming a member of one other in Al-Ittihad, if they’ll overcome the off-field uncertainty to deliver the defender to Saudi Arabia.

They’ve earlier in relation to signing gamers from Anfield, having bought Fabinho three years in the past, and theoretically a transfer for the French defender ought to be simpler now that he’ll be out of contract.

Regardless of the 27-year-old enduring an error-strewn season, he’ll nonetheless be a big loss to the Reds, whose defensive choices have been severely depleted at instances all through the marketing campaign, and seeing him depart with out recouping a switch payment compounds the blow.

Whoever in the end indicators Konate will likely be getting a participant within the prime of his profession and who boasts loads of elite-level expertise for membership and nation, having received the Premier League and performed in a World Cup closing.

Whereas we want the Frenchman all the most effective in his future endeavours, we simply hope that Liverpool don’t come to have critical regrets over not with the ability to agree a contract extension for him this 12 months.