Ibrahima Konate seems confident that Liverpool will sign one of his international colleagues this summer.
The Frenchman was partaking in a quickfire ‘yes or no’ segment with Telefoot when he was asked if he thinks the Reds will sign compatriot Khephren Thuram this summer, amid ongoing links with the Nice midfielder.
The 24-year-old answered (via Metro): “Yes, I hope so”, having also told RMC Sport in recent days that he’d take his ‘incredible’ younger international teammate under his wing if he were to join the centre-back at Anfield in the coming months.
The international break at the start of the summer is throwing up opportunities for players to try and entice their compatriots into teaming up with them at club level also, with Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo potentially doing the same to Teun Koopmeiners and Jurrien Timber this week amid their involvement with Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League finals.
Konate isn’t in the same camp as Thuram currently, with the latter representing France in the European Under-21 Championship, although the Liverpool man might have had a word with the Nice midfielder’s older brother Marcus during Les Bleus training for their Euro 2024 qualifiers this weekend.
The 24-year-old’s confident reply in the Telefoot Q&A may give added hope to Reds supporters of the French youngster coming to Anfield over the summer, on top of recent reports that such a move would be the latter’s preference if he were to depart the Ligue 1 club.
Of course, the final decision will rest with the 22-year-old midfield gem, but Kopites could be forgiven for reacting with excitement to the centre-back’s four-word response regarding the possibility of Thuram being Merseyside-bound over the next few weeks.