Ibrahima Konate didn’t play Liverpool in the Champions League when the Reds pushed RB Leipzig out of competition this season
Liverpool have agreed to sign RB Leipzig center-back Ibrahima Konate for £ 35m on a long-term deal.
The 22-year-old French defender has met his medical and personal conditions. His move is subject to an international permit and a UK work permit.
“It’s a really exciting moment for me and my family,” said Konate, who will be on July 1st.
Konate is part of the French squad for the Uefa U21 European Championship, which starts on Monday.
The defender, who started his career in France at Sochaux, made 21 appearances for RB Leipzig this season when he finished second in the Bundesliga.
“At the moment my focus is on the European Under-21 Championship with France, but after this competition I know I’ll be joining one of the best teams in the world and that makes me feel great,” said Konate.
His arrival would help strengthen a line of defense that suffered from long-term injuries to center-backs Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip during the season.
Midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson served as provisional center-backs, while Liverpool ended the season with a center-back pair of Nathaniel Phillips, 24 and Rhys Williams, 20.
Liverpool secured a spot in the Champions League with a win against Crystal Palace on the last day of the season and finished third in the Premier League.
The deal for Konate means Liverpool will turn down the chance to sign defender Ozan Kabak on a permanent basis.
The Reds had the option to sign the 21-year-old Kabak for £ 18million with fringe benefits under the loan agreement that took him to Anfield in January.
They communicated their intentions to the Turkey international before he found out about Konate’s deal and he is speaking to other clubs.
