BILD explain why Liverpool won’t sign Leipzig star Konate

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Liverpool won’t move for Ibrahima Konate in the summer window, as the club feels it already has the solution to its defensive concerns in Ozan Kabak, as reported by BILD.

The loan signing from Schalke has grown in his role at Anfield and could prove to be a bargain purchase for the Reds for only £18m on an option-to-buy.

“Kabak, who like Konaté is one of the greatest defensive talents in Europe, is already part of the squad, so he doesn’t need any time to get used to it,” Michel Milewski and Stefan Krause wrote (as translated by Google Translate). Konaté has not been used very much in the past year and a half due to several torn muscle fibers and an ankle injury.

“But the financial aspect is much more decisive,” the pair added. The “Reds” would have to pay around ten million euros less for Kabak.”

READ MORE: Liverpool no longer interested in €40m Bundesliga star Reds were reportedly finalising deal for, claims SportBILD

Ozan Kabak has formed a solid partnership at the back with Nathaniel Phillips

But what of FSG’s promises?

Had FSG not already announced the certainty of financial backing for the club, the claim issued by BILD may have come across as somewhat plausible.

The idea that Liverpool wouldn’t come up with the funds to bring the Frenchman to Anfield, however, seems rather unlikely unless the recruitment team have already spied a better option elsewhere, or have become suddenly conscious of the defender’s injury history.

Kabak is certainly an option we’ll potentially want to explore in the summer, however, with Joel Matip’s fitness issues ongoing, we’d be surprised if Liverpool are happy with the Turkey international alone in terms of our defensive reinforcements.

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