Opinion
Liverpool have come close to signing French centre-back Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig.
Jurgen Klopp and the fans have witnessed what a negatively spiralling effect three injuries can have on a season. The season-long injuries to Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson forcing players to play out of position has been one of the major reasons Liverpool have regressed this season.
Mind you, this is not an excuse for a torrid season, however, it does point at some lacklustre administrative issues like not signing or replacing players that left. Not replacing Dejan Lovren has proven much nastier than having him play for us and put in a performance like the one he had against Tottenham Hotspur.
However, putting that behind us, Konate, who is close to signing a five-year deal with Liverpool for a proposed fee of 35 million Euros, adds much-needed depth for Liverpool in their defensive positions.
To be honest, it is unknown whether Van Dijk and Gomez will be able to play to the same standard as they did in the two seasons where Liverpool finished second with 97 points and then went off to win the Premier League last season. Keeping that in mind, the signings of Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak provided immediate respite for this season, but by the looks of it, they are not the long-term fixes.
I would love for Klopp to announce the permanent signing of Kabak in addition to Konate. Kabak has proven himself in the two or three months he has been here. Given that he is a 20-year-old and has fit in so well, this is only a glimpse of his ability.
However, Konate, a physically strong defender, will be a great addition to Liverpool. His tactical awareness and speed make him a great asset in the Premier League. He has a wonderful eye to cut in between the lines and stop a swift counter-attack. Konate has also shown great accuracy with standing tackles.
Ibrahima Konate is signing with Liverpool. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)
Given that Konate is young himself, training with the likes of Klopp and his coaching team and playing alongside Van Dijk will only help him realise his potential.
Liverpool finally seem to be putting their rough season behind themselves. With the way things are looking they have started planning for the next season with the aim to get back to where they belong, fighting for the Premier League title.
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