Reds seal Konate deal & plan to raise over £50m – Liverpool FC Roundup

May 28, 2021
This Is Anfield

Liverpool have a new player! Ibrahima Konate is a Red and we have added a potentially magnificent centre-back to our ranks. The signing fallout and all today’s other news for you in Friday’s round-up.

Ibrahima Konate is a Red

If you haven’t seen by now, where have you been?!

The Reds’ dressing room will be boosted by the arrival of Ibrahima Konate for pre-season, with the France U21 centre-back having agreed a deal after the club triggered his release clause from Leipzig.

He’s 6’4″, fast, technical, very strong and rated hugely by those within the club – we can all look forward to this next season.

Konate himself has already spoken about joining the Reds and what it means to him to step up, while he also thanked his former club too.

Welcome to LFC, Ibou!

Plan set to raise funds

Of course, more signings will be required as the summer goes on.

To that end, the Reds will refresh the squad somewhat by offloading a few fringe players and those who haven’t made the grade.

Four players in particular are being targeted for sale in a bid to raise up to £58 million for new signings.

Divock Origi is no real surprise after a bit-part role, while three others have been out on loan this season – Grujic, Wilson and Awoniyi.

But are the fees suggested likely this year or are the Reds placing an above-market valuation on their men?

Elsewhere, Turkish rumours suggest the Reds have asked Fenerbahce for £7m for Xherdan Shaqiri.

Konate signing reaction

Big player, big signing, big guy. Plenty of big reaction to it!

Here are the current list of squad numbers available to Ibou or any other new signing. New Konate No. 5 shirt, anyone?
The fans are delighted to get the “early business” done and ensure Konate can join as soon as possible after his summer exploits with France U21s
And Jurgen Klopp has explained the “quality” of Konate which will make him a valuable addition and success

Quickfire LFC news

Goalkeeper discussions all summer it seems, as the Reds want Adrian to stay but must sort new deals for Ali and Kelleher

A hugely unbelievable rumour from Italy suggests Liverpool, who basically play 4-3-3 every week, are keen to sign Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu, who basically plays No. 10 and nowhere else

But the Reds won’t be looking at Yves Bissouma after all this summer, according to one prominent report

And there are four rising stars in the most popular names for fans on the back of LFC jerseys this season

Around the Prem

Man City want to make Jack Grealish the first English player signed for over £100m, which has us wondering if Villa would accept a sort of reverse-Arsenal-Suarez scenario if they only bid £99,999,999

Ole’s summer shopping list reads Sancho, Rice, Pau Torres and Kane as yet another minor £300m spending spree is apparently required to inch them over the line toward actually winning something

Spurs are setting themselves up for some very public embarrassment by trying to decide whether to offer the job to Zidane or Conte

And Hakimi could swap Inter for Arsenal says one report, without deciding to offer clues as to why he’d be keen to swap champions of Italy and Champions League football for playing next to Rob Holding and no midweek action at all