Napoli wants to replace Kim Min-Jae with Liverpool star. According to reports, Napoli is looking to replace Kim Min-Jae and has added Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool to their wishlist.
The South Korean international has agreed to a reported €50 million transfer to Bayern Munich. According to Corrieredellosport.it, Real Sociedad’s Robin Le Normand is a top contender to take Kim’s place in the back.
The 26-year-old could, however, cost the full sum Napoli paid for Kim, thus the Serie A winners have planned other options. One of them is Konate, who paid €40 million to move to Liverpool from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021.
If the Reds let the Frenchman go after only two years at Anfield, it will come as a surprise. In the past two seasons, he has been Liverpool’s best central defender with Virgil van Dijk, appearing in 53 games in all competitions.
Additionally, the 31-year-old Joel Matip and injury-prone Van Dijk would both be considered long-term successors by the 24-year-old. The 11-cap international’s deal with Anfield expires in 2026.
Napoli is also interested in Leeds United center-back Robin Koch and Wolverhampton Wanderers center-back Maximilian Kilman. West Ham United and Manchester United have both expressed interest in the latter, who was demoted from the Premier League with the Whites last season.
What did Konate say about Liverpool’s disappointing season?:
In the 2021–22 season, Liverpool was in the running for an unprecedented quadruple, and they ultimately won both the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. They lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final and finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League standings.
The Reds’ 2022–23 season can be viewed as a failure in every way after reaching such heights. They failed to take home any hardware and, for the first time since the 2015–16 campaign, placed fifth, outside the top four.
Konate told RMC Sport last month: “Our season has gotten off to a fairly complicated start. Then, as we have observed over the past two months, there is a certain pressure and we are truly remobilized. But our goal is the Champions League, and if you look at our last 10 or 11 games, I believe there have been 10 wins.”
The French center-back added: “It’s us and the players; at one point in the season, we made a mistake. But such kinds of seasons do exist. We are fortunate to always have our fans on our side.”
“You no longer need to consider the season; it is over. We must reflect on our errors and plan for the following year.”
In 24 appearances across tournaments, Konate finished the season with nine clean sheets while losing time due to two ailments.
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