While Liverpool fans were keen to express their excitement at the reported signing of Ibrahima Konate, many felt the need to urge the club to complete a double defensive signing this summer with Ozan Kabak.
Available on an £18m option-to-buy, the Turk could further bolster the side’s defence for a combined total of around £50m for both the Schalke loanee and the Frenchman.
READ MORE: Done Deal: Fabrizio Romano confirms details of Ibrahima Konate’s €35m move to Liverpool
With it being unclear as to whether we can even afford to dish out funds on more than one player in a specific position, the 20-year-old’s future at Anfield, despite an impressive loan spell, remains shrouded in mystery.
Given that we’ll likely need a solid replacement for the outgoing Gini Wijnaldum and an addition to the forward line – an area that Jurgen Klopp reportedly deems a priority – this further enhances concerns.
As far as we at the Empire of the Kop are concerned, the young centre-half has arguably done enough to justify the fee attached, and would certainly make sense as a signing given the manager’s preference to train rather buy the finished article.
You can catch some of the fans’ tweets here:
I genuinely hope we still permanently sign Ozan Kabak, regardless of the Konaté signing.
He’s been brilliant and deserves it.
Top talent.
Learning under Van Dijk and Klopp would make him world class. pic.twitter.com/jsI19xjHhK
— 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒄𝒐🧣 (@KIopptinho) April 23, 2021
we’re signing Konate but Kabak still isn’t permanent pic.twitter.com/3f1CDLg3fO
— J7 (@lfcJ7_) April 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/FalseFMatt/status/1385660686328606721
Konate, VVD & Gomez. 3 of the quickest centre backs in ⚽. Konate hugely promising and matches very well with Virgil in their. Signing Kabak should be a priority too. We can't be left this short defensively again. No excuses. https://t.co/UQI71a3RWH
— Futbol: O Jogo Bonito (@David___LFC) April 24, 2021
if we sign Kabak aswell as this Konate it would be an amazing window before it’s even started, however we would still need an extra centre mid and forward. Konate and Kabak both very young with huge potential. Would both improve massively next to VVD.
— JB (@Burkeyj_) April 23, 2021
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With the injury record of Gomes and Matip it would makes sense to keep Kabak as well. As good as Matip and Gomes are, we cannot continue to struggle given their injury record over the past two/three years, we have to act. This is not a blot on their ability rather their availability.
Spot on. I think Konate has been brought in as a potential VVD equal and will be his defensive counterpart going forward.
Gomez is too unreliable now proven by this latest longterm injury.He is a Robin to VVDs Batman.
Not a leader for me and I think Gomez would have struggled as the main defender if he had stayed fit
Kabak is potentially a good 3rd/4th choice and I hope he’s bought too
Ibrahima Konaté is an injury prone. Klopp must think again.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/ibrahima-konate/verletzungen/spieler/357119
Kabak and Konate together for 50M makes perfect business and football sense.
Time to move to the midfield and give our full backs the time to rest while Neco and Konstantinos blossom into proper back ups.
Liverpool can no longer play the Klopp way with one line-up. They have to be like Chelsea and City with two lines to survive a 60+ match season. Not making CL could be that development period needed.
Pls for me my advice to jurgen kloop, as fact we hav many defense now, I will pls advice jurgen kloop to go bring striker now somebody
and kyliappe mbappe