Liverpool ‘expect’ PL star to join next summer as Reds star ‘signs until 2031’ at Real Madrid
Liverpool ‘expect’ to get a deal for Marc Guehi over the line in the summer transfer window with Ibrahima Konate to head out, according to reports.
The Reds made eight signings over the summer transfer with Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni the biggest names arriving at Anfield.
Liverpool attempted to get a deal for Guehi over the line before the end of the window but Crystal Palace pulled out of the deal while the England international was having a medical.
Caught Offside claim that Liverpool ‘remain confident of winning the race for Guehi when he becomes a free agent next summer’, while the Daily Telegraph have an even more positive update for Reds fans.
Chris Bascombe writes in the Daily Telegraph: ‘Marc Guehi is the obvious absence – the club will be praying Joe Gomez can stay fit – but Slot has the line-up he and his executives hoped for to maintain their domestic domination. Liverpool expect Guehi to join next summer.’
One player who could end up making way for Guehi, although he wouldn’t have left this summer, is Konate with the France international refusing several new contract offers from Liverpool.
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Giving an update on Konate’s future earlier, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Real Madrid have a genuine interest in the situation of Ibrahima Konate, but they don’t want to upset Liverpool.
“Liverpool will have the chance, for sure, in September, October, November, December – until the end of the season – to try and extend the contract of Ibrahima Konate.
“Despite agreements between Liverpool and the player being very close one year ago, these conversations stopped because of new details being discussed.
“Real Madrid internally keep thinking of Konate.”
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But now Spanish outlet Defensa Central have gone further by claiming that Konate has ‘signs’ at Real Madrid ‘until 2031’ but then slightly backtracks by saying the Liverpool centre-back is ‘close to signing a big contract with Real Madrid in a few months’.
The report from Spain adds: ‘Konate would be delighted to join Real Madrid because it’s the biggest club in the world, and he knows it’s the highest a player can aspire to. For this reason, despite receiving interest from other clubs, he continues to prioritise the King of Europe. Madrid wants to sign him as a free agent, but they have to wait until early January to legally finalise everything.’
Former England and West Ham defender Stuart Pearce reckons Guehi is a “better player” than Konate if Liverpool end up signing the former in the summer.
Pearce told Best Betting Sites recently: “Personally, yes, if I had the choice between both of them, Guehi’s the better player.
“Konate was outstanding last year. But Marc Guehi is the first-choice England central defender in my eyes. I think he reads danger really well. I think you can leave him in one-on-one situations, which helps the bigger clubs who play a bit more expansive football.
“We saw with Liverpool at the weekend when they attacked, both full-backs vacated their areas leaving the two center halves to deal with the danger. Now you’ve got to make sure that you are capable of dealing with one-on-one situations. I think Mark Guehi is one of those that can do exactly that.
“I think he’s a great commodity and if I was Newcastle, if I was Liverpool, if I was Manchester United, I would go and recruit him.”
