Paris Saint-Germain are keen to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté in the summer and the player is interested in a move to the Ligue 1 club, sources have told ESPN.
The perennial French champions are seeking to bolster their defensive line and find a long-term partner for Marquinhos at centre-back. The acquisition of Konaté would also allow them to plan a long-term future without the Brazil international who turns 31 in May.
Sources have told ESPN that the France international is tempted by a return to the city of his birth. Konaté spent five years in Paris FC’s academy before leaving for Sochaux in 2014.
The defender joined Liverpool in a £36 million ($45.3m) deal from RB Leipzig in July 2021.
He has since made 116 appearances for the Merseyside club and has this season cemented himself as Arne Slot’s first choice to partner Virgil van Dijk in central defence.
The 25-year-old’s current contract runs until 2026, with Liverpool keen to keep him at the club long term. In a news conference last month, Konaté confirmed he has been offered a new deal but refused to be drawn on whether he will stay at Anfield beyond next summer.
“I’m really focused on what will happen now and then we will see what happens,” he said. “This is another conversation.”
Konaté has won the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups during his time at Liverpool, but has suffered with repeated injuries that have contributed to him failing to play more than 22 times in a single Premier League season.
He has missed eight matches this season due to a “frustrating” injury he picked up during Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Nov. 27.
Slot’s side are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table. They host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield in their next fixture on Sunday.
Information from ESPN’s Beth Lindop contributed to this report
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