MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly set to lock horns with Liverpool for RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate.
Jurgen Klopp has had well-documented issues at centre-half, with first choices Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip out for the season.
Joe Gomez is also on the sidelines, and this left the defending Premier League champions to rush deals through for Ozan Kabak and Preston’s Ben Davies.
Klopp is believed to have targetted a summer move for Konate – but now their bitter rivals are in the race.
According to Eurosport, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ‘an eye’ on Konate.
Doubts persist over whether Victor Lindelof can be the long-term partner for captain Harry Maguire in the middle.
Eric Bailly has just over a year left on his contract and has struggled with injury and fitness ever since he joined United in 2016.
He is currently out of action after contracting coronavirus while on international duty with Ivory Coast.
Konate would cost around £34million, ‘and will be allowed to leave if the right offer lands’.
Now United must decide whether to make the move for the 21-year-old, or focus on other targets.
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Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, Villareal’s Pau Torres and Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane are all reportedly on the Old Trafford hit list.
Another centre-half of interest is reportedly Juventus star Mathijs De Ligt.
Spanish outlet Todofichajes claimed in March United have made signing the centre-half their ‘top priority’.
But they would have to smash their own world-record fee paid for a defender after splashing out £85m on Harry Maguire in 2019.
De Ligt is thought to have a release clause in his contract allowing him to leave Juventus for £130m.
But according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, it does not kick in until July 2022.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
