Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique has made a ‘call’ to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate to hijack Real Madrid’s move for him, according to reports.
The Reds have made four big-name signings this summer with Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong all arriving at Anfield.
Liverpool are still in the market for more players with solid links to Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
But they could have to offload some players first, while they also look to bat away interest in stars they have no interest in selling, like France international Konate.
The Liverpool defender has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid with the French centre-back now in the final year of his deal at Anfield.
Journalist David Lynch got a “feeling that his priority is to renew” at Liverpool after “speaking to people close to Konate” last week.
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Lynch said on the Sports Mole YouTube channel last week: “Real Madrid are clearly interested aren’t they – there is no question about that! But speaking to people close to Konate, I still get the feeling that his priority is to renew with Liverpool and there are talks there, but it is kind of stuck at the moment.
“I don’t think it has reached the point of no return and the player has definitely decided he wants to go to Real Madrid, I don’t get that feeling at all.
“That’s not to say that it won’t end in that way because that possibility is 100 per cent on the table, but we are still in the moment where there is hope there will be a breakthrough.”
While Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke is convinced that Liverpool will avoid selling this summer as they attempt to get Konate to renew his contract.
O’Rourke told Football Insider recently: “I don’t see a move happening this summer. It would have to be a very good offer from Real Madrid to convince Liverpool to sell Konate, even though they don’t want him to run down his contract.
“You’re probably looking at over at least £40million to sell him now. I’d imagine Konate will end up staying at Liverpool this summer.
“The club will hold further talks with him to try and convince him to sign a new contract.
“So the player is in the box seat here, he can stay at Liverpool and talk to interested clubs in January with his contract running down as well.
“It’s a real worry for Liverpool because they’ve seen Trent Alexander-Arnold leave the club and they don’t want to see Konate do the same.”
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But now Spanish website Defensa Central claim that PSG boss Luis Enrique ‘has tried to sabotage’ Real Madrid’s move for Konate by making a ‘call’ to the Liverpool defender’s entourage.
Enrique is trying to ‘stop him from signing for Real Madrid’ but Konate has given the former Barcelona manager a ‘clear response’ over his future.
PSG ‘remain willing to go all out’ for Konate but Enrique’s phone call was ‘met with the worst possible response’ from the Liverpool centre-back.
It is claimed that Konate told Enrique: “Thanks, but I’m only considering Liverpool or Real Madrid, nothing else.”
Former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia has urged the Reds to get a new deal for Konate over the line as soon as possible as they “would need to buy two” centre-backs if he departs.
Hyypia told Chinese outlet CGTN Sports Scene: “Very important, we don’t have a lot of centre-backs at the moment so surely they won’t let him leave this summer, because then we would need to buy two.
“I don’t know if they are going to extend his contract, I don’t have that kind of inside information where the negotiations are and everything, but I think it would be very important to keep him.”
