PSG plot monster move for £36m Liverpool star as Man City lead race to sign Kevin de Bruyne successor

Premier League leaders Liverpool are preparing for one of the club’s most important six month periods in recent history.

As it stands, the Reds are top of the Premier League and on course to lift only their second league title since 1990. Arne Slot’s men are riding high ahead of Arsenal, who are currently struggling with an avalanche of injury issues.

Liverpool are also through to the final of the Carabao Cup where they will face Newcastle United and are also showing the credentials to potentially go all the way in the Champions League after topping the 36-team league-phase in the inaugural season of the new format.

However, it is not only one the pitch where Liverpool boss Arne Slot needs to make huge decisions, but also off it as he faces a whole host of transfer related dilemmas.

So far, Slot has made minimal changes in terms of personnel since inheriting the post from popular boss Jurgen Klopp but in the near future he may well have to find replacements for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold as they enter the final years of their contract.

Similarly Slot also faces a battle to keep a hold of one of his standout defensive performers with £36m signing Ibrahim Konate attracting interest from PSG, according to reports.

PSG plot move for Ibrahim Konate

ESPN understands French champions PSG are planning a blockbuster move to bring Ibrahim Konate to the French capital in the summer. Luis Enrique’s side are believed to be huge admirers of the 25-year-old defender, who was born and raised in Paris and sources close to the player have reportedly told the outlet that Konate himself is open to the idea of returning back to his city of birth.

Konate arrived at Liverpool from RB Leipzig after his £36m release clause was paid in July 2021. He struggled with injuries in his early years at Anfield but has progressed into one of the club’s most important defenders alongside Virgil van Dijk. In total, Konate has played 116 times for Liverpool and has formed part of the team two League Cups and one FA Cup while also finishing runners-up in the 2022 Champions League final.

He is currently enjoying his best season to date in a Liverpool shirt and has been heavily praised for his defensive awareness, physicality and consistency in the backline. Konate is under contract at Liverpool until the summer of 2026 but refused to be drawn on whether he will stay at Anfield beyond the summer. In a recent interview, he confirmed he had been offered a deal, but simply stated: “I’m really focused on what will happen now and then we will see what happens. This is another conversation.”

The 3AM verdict: Liverpool have done a lot right in recent seasons, but one of the areas they have struggled with is tying some of their stars down to new contracts. In Ibrahim Konate they currently have one of the most in-form defenders in world football and a solid defensive partner to Vigil Van Dijk if they can keep him on board.

It is paramount that the Reds do everything they can to keep the Frenchman onboard if they are to remain at the summit in years to come.

Man City plot monster move for Kevin de Bruyne successor

Manchester City have so far been a shadow of the team which dominated English football for the last four seasons and while a lot of that can be attributed towards the injury to Rodri, an equally important factor has been the decline in fitness and consistency from two-time Premier League Player of the Season Kevin de Bruyne.

So far this term, the 33-year-old has only managed two goals and six assists in the league this season, which is a far cry from the numbers he had been managing on a regular basis in most of his previous nine seasons.

Football Insider understands that City are in the market to find a long-term heir for De Bruyne and claims Florian Wirtz is the man that fits the bill for Pep Guardiola.

The 21-year-old recently guided Bayer Leverkusen to league and cup double last season without losing a single domestic match, and was named the Bundesliga Player of the Year.

He is enjoying another stellar campaign this term with nine goals and nine assists from 21 league games and has also thrived in Europe with an incredible six goals in eight Champions League appearances. Wirtz is the subject of interest from numerous clubs including Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona and is said to command a price tag of around £100m.

The 3AM Verdict: Pep Guardiola’s mid-season surge of spending seems to only be the start of a mass rebuild at Manchester City - and with the signing of Nico Gonzalez being confirmed in the defensive midfield it is clear City now need to turn their attention to the attacking midfield department. Both Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne have been inspirational in recent seasons, but neither have hit the heights required this term.

Wirtz’s current numbers are very similar to De Bruyne in his peak years, and it makes complete sense for City to enter the race to sign the young German playmaker, who would fit well into Guardiola’s plans.