Ibrahima Konate was “open” to Man United before picking Real Madrid
· Yahoo Sports
Manchester United had the opportunity to pull off a bombshell move for Ibrahima Konate after the 27-year-old defender was confirmed to be leaving Liverpool this week, a new report claims.
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Reinforcing the Backline
While a midfield revamp is the priority at Old Trafford this summer, with a deal already in the bag to fix the stalling engine room, United are also on the lookout for reinforcements in defence.
A new left-back to provide competition to Luke Shaw is considered a priority, given the 30-year-old Englishman’s body will be unable to contend with the increased workload of three games a week next season.
But a central defender is also understood to be on the agenda, despite Harry Maguire signing a new deal in April and the impressive form of Ayden Heaven towards the tail end of the campaign.
The continued injury issues of Matthijs de Ligt, who has not played since November, and Lisandro Martinez are driving this concern over depth in the backline, with both of United’s first-choice centre-backs having missed much of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur juggernaut Micky van de Ven was identified as an ambitious target were the north London side to be relegated, while Nottingham Forest’s Murillo is a player with many admirers in M16.
However, it has now been claimed United could have signed Konate on a free transfer as the France international failed to agree a contract extension at Anfield.
Konate was open to Old Trafford
Caught Offside reveals a well-placed source indicates Konate was “open” to swapping Merseyside for Manchester if an offer had presented itself.
“The Konate situation has been pretty crazy,” the source states. “About a month ago it looked like he was engaging really positively with the idea of staying and signing a new deal with Liverpool. Real Madrid seemed to be out of the picture.
“At the same time, it seems his agents were keeping contacts alive, and that’s now led to a verbal agreement with Real Madrid. He was also open to Chelsea, Man United, and Bayern.”
Liverpool were understood to have been confident of agreeing terms with the 6’4 titan, having tabled what insiders describe as a strong offer. In April, the player himself said he was “close to an agreement” and was keen to stay at the club he joined from RB Leipzig in 2021 for £35 million.
The report states this left Liverpool “slightly blindsided” when it emerged Konate’s representatives were “engaging with other clubs, including major rivals” in England.
In the end, an explosive switch between the Premier League’s most successful, and bitterest, rivals did not come to fruition, with the Frenchman set to sign for Real Madrid, provided Florentino Perez wins the presidential elections at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It would have sent shockwaves, however, if Konate had joined the rare list of players, which includes Paul Ince and Michael Owen, to have lined up for both north west giants.
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