Liverpool may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate, after the German club’s CEO revealed that the centre-back does have a release clause.
The Reds are said to have been monitoring Konate as they look to make improvements at the back this summer.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the 21-year-old is on a five-man shortlist of centre-backs who the club could move for.
And, speaking after Leipzig’s 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Thursday night’s DFB-Pokal final, CEO Oliver Mintzlaff admitted that there is a release clause in Konate’s contract, thought to be £34 million.
“We’ll see what happens,” Mintzlaff told Sky Deutschland. “No decision has been made yet.
“There is an exit clause. That’s why we don’t sit in the driver’s seat.”
Born in Paris, Konate started out at Sochaux and joined Leipzig as a 17-year-old four years ago. He’s made 88 appearances for the Red Bull-owned club, as well as winning 12 caps for France U21.
Liverpool saw the defence of their Premier League title crumble this season, due in no small part to a series of costly injuries at centre-back, with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all spending extended spells on the sidelines.
The Reds could yet qualify for next season’s Champions League but may well need to win all three of their remaining league fixtures, as well as hoping that Chelsea, who currently occupy fourth place, drop points in at least one of their final two.
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