Liverpool’s latest signing Ibrahim Konate has joined the club for the upcoming season. The club have announced that the young French defender will inherit the no. 5 jersey left by Georginio Wijnaldum.
Jurgen Klopp was concerned with the major injury problems to his centre backs last season. The Reds went on to invest £35m to lure away the 22-year-old from RB Leipzig. Konate will look to carry over the legacy of the No. 5 shirt from the Dutch midfielder.
Last season Liverpool lost their star defender Virgil Van Dijk due to a major knee injury. Joe Gomez was also sidelined, which left Klopp with very limited choices in defence. He opted for defenders like Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams, who did their part during the season. Although Liverpool were never challenging for the title, the youngsters guided the Reds to a respectable third position with a late charge.
While both Phillips and Williams prove the depth present in this Liverpool, they needed more quality alongside Van Dijk. Hence Klopp signed Konate from RB Leipzig. The German tactician has been an admirer of the French centre back for a long time and finally, he got the opportunity to land him at Anfield.
The 22-year-old defender started his career at FC Paris’s youth academy, and he later joined FC Sochaux’s U-19 team. He rose through the ranks at Ligue 2 outfit FC Sochaux. In 2017 he was scouted by RB Leipzig, and in no time, he became a mainstay in Germany.
Even for France, Konate has played at various age groups, starting from U-12 to the current U-21 side. He has shown immaculate composure and maturity beyond his years. His pace helps him in recoveries, and his physical stature allows him to win aerial and ground duels. He can really compliment VVD at the heart of the Liverpool defence. He is someone who fits right into Klopp’s attacking system.
Before Konate’s arrival, Wijnaldum donned the No. 5 jersey for Liverpool since 2016. The Dutch midfielder appeared 237 times for the Reds and played a pivotal role in helping Liverpool win the Premier League, Champions League in recent times. Unfortunately, he has left Anfield and joined Paris Saint Germain after his contract expired with the Reds.
Before Wijnaldum, the no. 5 shirt was donned by former players like Daniel Agger and Milan Baros. Konate will hope that he can uphold the legacy of the no. 5 shirt at Anfield.
