Jurgen Klopp, the current coach of Liverpool FC, knew Ibrahim Konate was the one signing that they needed for the summer. This is precisely why they paid around £36m to initiate the release clause at RB Leipzig. This brought the young signing to Anfield last May, after an unprecedented injury crisis went on to waylay the title defense of the club the last season. The famed transfer committee of the club then decided to focus their attention on one area of the team that needed the most strengthening for the next campaign, their center of defense.
Ibrahim Konate- A Major Signing For Liverpool?
Ibrahim Konate was frank about his opinion of Klopp. The center back, who grew up in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, went on to explain that when Klopp asked something or called for something, people listened. Konate mentioned that he had spoken to Klopp a couple of times prior to his signing. As it stands, the coach of Liverpool FC wouldn’t just be calling someone for no reason- there had to be something behind the call. Nevertheless, Konate and Klopp share quite a familiarity with each other, as they speak about the former’s private life, the mentality of the players in the club, and the club itself.
Ibrahim Konate further stated that the discussions between him and Klopp weren’t just limited to him, it went way deep. They would talk about the mentality of the club, the players Konate played with, about Liverpool city, about everything. Konate explained that this approach by Klopp actually helped him make a decision as to whether he would be playing for Liverpool next or not.
Ibrahim Konate hasn’t yet received major game time from Klopp, but that is to be expected. Most new arrivals at Liverpool- which include Fabinho and Andy Robertson, have had to be patient in their debut season. If reports are to be believed, Klopp usually preferred his new charges getting acclimatized to the club first.