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Former French defender and World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu has lauded Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate for his defensive prowess.
Lizarazu, who represented Bayern Munich and Marseille during his playing career, was a part of the 1998 FIFA World Cup-winning French football team.
The former Bayern Munich defender recently heaped praise on Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate. He stated that the 24-year-old has the highest potential amongst the centre-backs in France's talented squad. He said (via Telefoot):
“For me, he is the greatest potential of the central defenders of the France team. He has calm, maturity and serenity, which is important for this position. He has everything.”
The French national team has an incredibly talented array of centre-backs to choose from, including Arsenal's William Saliba, Barcelona's Jules Kounde, and Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano.
Konate joined the Reds from RB Leipzig in July 2021 for a reported transfer fee of £36 million. Since then, the French defender has made 81 appearances for the Reds, bagging three goals and two assists.
Alongside Liverpool's skipper Virgil van Dijk, the 24-year-old has been instrumental in the Merseyside club's performances this season.
Liverpool to consider two alternatives if Xabi Alonso rejects becoming Jurgen Klopp's successor: Reports
According to Fussball News, Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso could turn down prospective job offers from Liverpool and Bayern Munich as he wants the top job at Real Madrid.
Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen are currently at the top of the Bundesliga table with 61 points from 23 matches, eight points ahead of Bayern Munich. Moreover, they are the only unbeaten club in German top-tier football as they look to dethrone Bayern after a decade of dominance.
However, with Alonso's reported interest in joining Los Blancos, the Reds have been forced to consider other options. They have reportedly identified two backup options for the Spaniard: Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann and Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim.
Nagelsmann has managed the likes of TSG Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, and Bayern Munich earlier. The 36-year-old guided RB Leipzig to the semi-final of the UCL during the 2019-20 season. On the other side, Amorim was the manager of Braga before he joined Sporting CP in 2020. The Portuguese manager guided Sporting CP to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years during the 2020-21 season.
