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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Luis Enrique is reportedly in direct contact with the agent of Real Madrid target Ibrahima Konate. He wants the Liverpool defender signed this summer and believes that PSG can lure the Frenchman to the Parc des Princes.
According to a report in Defensa Central, Enrique had a phone call with Konate's agent since the contract talks at Liverpool have stalled. The defender is in the final year of his contract at Anfield, and Real Madrid are looking to sign him.
PSG are not new entrants in the race to sign Konate and have been linked with him since February. The Liverpool star was quizzed about the interest in an interview with Telefoot, and he said (via GFFN):
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"To hear big clubs like that are showing interest in me is very flattering! Now I'm focussing on this season, giving it my all and I'll let my agents take care of the rest."
PSG were interested in hijacking any move from Real Madrid after identifying the Liverpool star as the ideal long-term replacement for Marquinhos. However, Konate has reportedly rejected the idea of moving to Paris, as he wants to stay at Anfield or move to Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid are willing to pay €25 million to sign Konate this summer, but Liverpool have demanded €50 million for their star player. Los Blancos are also willing to wait until the end of the season to sign the Frenchman for free, much like they did with Trent Alexander-Arnold before paying £10 million to get him for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Liverpool hopeful of Real Madrid and PSG target staying, claims journalist
Liverpool journalist David Lynch was on the Sports Mole YouTube channel earlier this summer and said that the Reds are still confident of a breakthrough in talks with Konate. He added that the negotiations have not reached a point of no return and said (via Football365):
"Real Madrid are clearly interested aren't they – there is no question about that! But speaking to people close to Konate, I still get the feeling that his priority is to renew with Liverpool and there are talks there, but it is kind of stuck at the moment."
"I don't think it has reached the point of no return and the player has definitely decided he wants to go to Madrid, I don't get that feeling at all. That's not to say that it won't end in that way because that possibility is 100 per cent on the table, but we are still in the moment where there is hope there will be a breakthrough."
The Guardian reported earlier this summer that Konate was disappointed with the contract offer on the table. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League champions can convince him to stay at Anfield.
