5 hours ago
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Bayern Munich have thrown their hat into the ring for Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, who could be on the move next summer on a free transfer if his situation remains unchanged.
The French centre-back has been heavily linked with a switch to Real Madrid, who previously snapped up Trent Alexander-Arnold from the Reds when his contract ran out. Kylian Mbappe is another big-name player who made a cost-free move to the Bernabeu recently - and now it seems Konate is on Los Blancos' radar as a major contract deadline looms.
However, according to Bild, Bayern have reached out to Konate's representatives, expressing interest in bringing him back to the Bundesliga where he first made waves with RB Leipzig before his move to Anfield.
Future developments may depend on whether Dayot Upamecano stays put at the Allianz Arena. Like Konate, Upamecano's contract is set to expire this summer, and should he decide to leave, Bayern might step up their pursuit of the Liverpool star.
Real Madrid, with Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Antonio Rudiger among their defensive options, are still considering the possibility of adding Konate to their ranks.Liverpool spent much of last year fielding questions about player contracts. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk extended their deals later in the season, but Alexander-Arnold dropped a bombshell when he announced his departure for new adventures.
Konate has made 147 appearances for the Reds but has faced criticism for his performances, fuelling speculation that he's already thinking about his next move. However, Arne Slot has been quick to defend the Frenchman, pointing out that he's not the only player struggling for form.
He stated: "If you are losing a game of football, then it doesn't help if you lose the ball too many times, too easily. He's [Konate] been one of them, but he's definitely not the only one. If you then lose a game of football there is so much focus on that one moment, that suddenly your 90 minutes have been very, very poor.
"That's just not the way I analyse the game. In the last two games, it's been obvious and clear that we've made a few errors, not just him [Konate] but others, that we're not used to."
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