With Ibrahima Konaté, Liverpool seemed to have secured a ridiculous deal. At the World Cup, the Frenchman is a standout
In 2020, Liverpool took a chance. Dejan Lovren departed in the summer after they had just won the Premier League. Despite this, they decided against adding a new center back because the proper player wasn’t available; instead, they would try to compete with just three.
Of course, there was a crisis with injuries. By the end of January, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip were all done for the year. Liverpool signed Ben Davies from Preston North End and loaned Ozan Kabak from Schalke 04 instead of committing to a new long-term center back.
In other words, they waited for the proper player before deciding Ibrahima Konaté was that player. By paying RB Leipzig £36 million to meet his release clause, Liverpool was able to sign him in the summer of 2021.
After Virgil van Dijk, that is the second-highest price Liverpool has ever paid for a defender. A young defender was a bit of a risk to take on, especially in light of the recent catastrophe the Reds had experienced.
Even yet, 18 months later, it appears to be an incredible deal.
Ibrahima Konaté was an excellent buy.
It was obvious that Liverpool scored last year. After taking some time to make the team, Konaté was eventually selected by Jurgen Klopp for the UEFA Champions League final.
We thought it was more obvious than ever that Konaté was a star after he played in that final and looked incredible.
However, Konaté took things even further over the past month. Liverpool not only found a fantastic deal, but also an astounding offer.
The 23-year-old was perhaps Man of the Match when he began for France in a World Cup semifinal this week. How many aspiring center backs are capable of that? Very few, we would guess, and those that did would sell for £100 million.
For instance, Wesley Fofana relocated to Chelsea in the summer for £75 million. He has yet to start for France in a World Cup semifinal or even earn a cap for France.
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