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Liverpool looked to have avoided the need for any sort of drastic overhaul this summer. It lost Trent Alexander-Arnold, but sorted out the remainder of its pressing contract issues, allowing the team to focus on strengthening from a position of strength.
A summer of having to replace Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would have tested sporting director Richard Hughes to his limits. But the Reds managed to remain on the front foot, tying both stars down to new deals.
However, Hughes' inbox has not been as calm as he might have hoped. While Liverpool had no intention of selling Ibrahima Konate or Luis Diaz at the start of the transfer window, interest from elsewhere may yet test that stance, with a knock-on effect on further incoming plans.
With Konate, there is a threat it could turn into a carbon copy of the Alexander-Arnold situation. Real Madrid is sniffing around, and the defender has entered the final year of his deal.
Liverpool has supposedly now set its price for Konate. While it still does not expect him to depart this summer, the production of a plausible figure is a concession to the realities of the situation.
Diaz has slightly longer left on his existing Liverpool terms, which run to 2027. But his deal has still not been extended since he first joined, and he has signalled a preference to leave following a bid from Bayern Munich.
None of this is ideal for Arne Slot. He handled the off-field distractions superbly in his first season, but will nonetheless be eager to enter his second campaign with a more settled, committed group.
That group would ideally still include Konate and Diaz, and Liverpool will no doubt continue dialog with the pair. But the slightly irritating transfer interest may yet also open up an exciting opportunity for another marquee move.
One way or another, Liverpool is likely to end up in discussions with Real Madrid this summer, if only to ascertain the lie of the land. Everybody knows that it does not want to lose more of its stars on free transfers (especially with no Club World Cup to enable the extraction of a small fee this time next year), so it will want to gauge whether Los Blancos are ready to make a serious proposal to take Konate now.
As part of those discussions, Liverpool might well think about mentioning a Real Madrid player or two. There's a new era at the Bernabeu, with Xabi Alonso in charge, and some interesting stars may yet be available on the market.
Specifically, Rodrygo could be more attainable than he has ever been before. The subject of half-hearted links for multiple summers now, this could be the time when Liverpool makes a firm move.
Rodrygo has the potential to neatly turn the Diaz and Konate interest into something of a strength for Liverpool. He creates a way for the Reds to get better value for the defender without requiring Real Madrid to stump up more actual cash, and he offers a solution to fill the void the Colombian would leave behind.
Reports have claimed that this kind of "swap" is in the works. Liverpool is ready to offer Konate plus $41 million — a proposal which Real Madrid finds "tempting", although it values Rodrygo at around $116 million in total.
But even if the Liverpool "proposal" is a little short, the sale of Diaz would raise more than enough money to bridge the gap. It might be a deal that works for all parties.
However, there's a case to be made that Liverpool could be even more ambitious. Rodrygo would be a pretty good replacement for Diaz, and he's younger, but it's hard to say with any certainty that he would be a true upgrade — so it should try for Vinicius Jr instead.
As it happens, Defensa Central says that Liverpool is readying a total package of $151 million for Vinicius in the event that Diaz leaves. With Konate factored in as well, that price could come down, perhaps to around the $116 million mark too.
Clearly, it's a bit of a long shot. But unlike Rodrygo, Vinicius does boast genuinely and unquestionably world-class output, representing a step up from Diaz.
Pulling it off would be Hughes' best move yet, even in a summer where he has already landed Florian Wirtz. But one way or another, the possibility is there to turn this Diaz and Konate interest to the club's advantage.
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