The Premier League returns on Friday night when champions Liverpool host Bournemouth at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side cruised to the top flight title during his debut season in England, and the Reds have since recruited heavily.
Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike are among those to have arrived on Merseyside so far this summer, while a number of other big names continue to be linked with a move to the club.
Now, though, it appears that one of Liverpool’s fiercest rivals are eyeing a move for one of their most important players.
As per Chelsea News, Chelsea are eyeing an audacious move to sign Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate.
The report claims that the Blues are prepared to make a significant direct offer to Liverpool for the Frenchman, who has less than a year remaining on his current contract.
Konate has been capped 23 times by France (Photo: dpa picture alliance/Alamy)
Konate’s contract situation has prompted significant speculation surrounding the Frenchman’s future, and Spanish giants Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for the central defender.
It is claimed that Chelsea are hoping to hijack the move, although Real’s interest could mean that the West London outfit fail in their attempts to sign the player.
Konate joined Liverpool from German side RB Leipzig in 2021 and has since played more than 130 times for the club across all competitions.
The 26-year-old featured 31 times in the Premier League last term, helping Slot’s side to win the trophy for just the second time in the club’s history.
Despite Chelsea’s apparent interest in the defender, the report also claims that Liverpool are extremely reluctant to sell one of their most important players to a direct Premier League rival.
This is despite Chelsea being willing to pay a significant fee to sign the defender just months before his contract ends, when he will become a free agent.
