With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez being injured, the Reds had to invest their trust in unproven defenders like Rhys Williams and Nat Williams. Although they did a more than a decent job for Jurgen Klopp last season, the Reds went out to secure the signature of Ibrahima Konate.
The French centre-back, formerly part of RB Leipzig, is considered one of the most sought-after young defenders in world football. Liverpool signed the youngster by triggering his release clause of more than £35m.
Jurgen Klopp had to react positively to his defensive shortage last season. Hence he roped in Konate, who has shown great promise in the Bundesliga as he partnered his compatriot Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the defence.
Speaking about the signing, Liverpool assistant coach Peter Krawietz understands that Konate has immense potential and can be an immediate hit at the Premier League. He is considered a well-rounded defender, and the management expects him to slot right in the starting eleven from next season.
“In him, we see the absolute potential to develop into a world-class centre-half. That’s what we want,”
“He is a young player still, but also experienced. He played a few years in the German Bundesliga and for several of the French national teams.
“His qualities are pretty obvious. He is a smart centre-half in terms of defending and of course, he has the physical body to be a proper centre-half.”
Krawietz told the club’s official website.
The Liverpool assistant manager highlighted what a defender needs to succeed in the Premier League. Therefore he feels that Konate has all the traits to be an immediate hit at the English top flight.
“In England, we all know what the things are they need to bring to the team: they need to be tall, they need to be quick, they need to be strong in the air and of course it’s important always for us as well that they fit in our tactical profile. In him, we see all of these qualities,”
“In defending, he was well educated in Leipzig and we saw that he will be able to learn all the details we want from our centre-halves.
“He is also very, very comfortable and calm on the ball, which is so important for us and our style of football, which is to realise a really calm and safe build-up for our attacking situations. We see all these qualities in him and that is why he is such a promising and interesting package.”
Krawietz added.
The Reds have made their intentions clear with young defender Sepp van den Berg as he is leaving the club on loan to join Preston. At the same time, they are also looking to ship defenders like Williams, Philipps and Ben Davies on a permanent or even a loan deal.
With Van Dijk and Gomez coming back from their long term injuries, it will be difficult for Konate to try and find a place in the starting lineup. The Frenchman will have fierce competition at Anfield in the upcoming season. Also, the Reds have veteran defender Joel Matip who will also look to fight for his place. After what happened last season, Klopp will be extra careful as squad depth will be key for the Reds next season.
