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Barcelona are expected to make defensive reinforcements in the summer and it now appears that the Catalans have identified RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate as their man.
According to Barca Blaugranes, the La Liga giants are monitoring the French defender and are eager to bring him to the Camp Nou. However, Barcelona could face competition from Real Madrid, who are also interested in the player.
Konate joined RB Leipzig in 2017 and has developed into one of the finest defenders in the Bundesliga in recent times.
The 21-year-old has forged a stellar partnership with Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the Leipzig defense and looks set for a fantastic career ahead of him.
Upamecano is believed to be on the radar of Barcelona and Real Madrid too, but since he’s set to join Bayern Munich, the La Liga giants have turned their attentions to Konate.
The Blaugrana have struggled due to defensive issues this season and are already searching for a long-term successor to Gerard Pique.
Barcelona are currently second in the La Liga table, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid after 27 games.
With former player Luis Garcia also expected to return to the Camp Nou from Manchester City in the summer, Barcelona will be hoping that Konate can help usher in a new era under new president Joan Laporta.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, have identified Konate as the ideal replacement for Raphael Varane, whose future continues to be uncertain.
The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu, while club captain Sergio Ramos is also in the final few months of his current contract.
As such, Los Blancos are ready to go head to head with Barcelona for the services of Konate.
Barcelona could sign Konate for around €30 million
Barcelona are hoping that the arrival of Laporta can get the club back into their heydays.
The Catalans enjoyed tremendous success during Laporta’s previous tenure, but the new president will have his hands full with the club immersed in a financial crisis.
Despite the issues surrounding them, Barcelona are expected to make a few significant signings to turn their fortunes around and Konate could be one of them.
The Frenchman currently has a release clause of €45 million, but a bid of around €25 million to €30 million could help Barcelona secure his services.
If the Catalans do manage to get their man, Konate could turn out to be a fantastic piece of business for the La Liga giants.
