Liverpool See €40M-Rated Star as Replacement for Barcelona, PSG Target

CaughtOffside reports, citing sources, that Arne Slot sees Konstantinos Koulierakis as a possible long-term option to succeed Konaté, whose stay at Anfield is still unclear amid ongoing contract talks.

Liverpool scouts have been monitoring Koulierakis for months, taking note of his strong defensive awareness and ability to move the ball forward. Tottenham have also placed the Greek international on their list of defensive targets.

With Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven forming the current first-choice pairing, Thomas Frank is looking to strengthen the squad with additional options and competition.

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Moreover, the report claims that for now, Wolfsburg are reluctant to sell, especially midway through the season. However, a bid in the region of €35-40 million could tempt the German club into negotiations.

Last month, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has declined to rule out the possibility of Konaté signing a new contract with Liverpool, shedding light on the current state of negotiations.

“On Konaté, that’s a really interesting topic because there have been reports he’s rejected a new contract,” Ornstein said on NBC Sports Soccer. “Of course, he’s into his final 12 months. I don’t think it’s so much a rejection. Maybe more of a stalemate or a lack of an agreement basically.

“But I’m told talks are active. They’re ongoing, but nothing is close just yet. Suggestions, he’s on around £70,000 a week. I’m told it’s more than double that. So, he would want a really good contract. Deservedly, you could say, going into the highest brackets of earners, but that’s something they need to sort out. It could be affecting the team.”