Contract rebel 'waiting for Liverpool' to sign him for free

Liverpool’s biggest priority in the transfer market over the next 12 months has to be a central defender.

Ibrahima Konate is into the final six months of his current deal and negotiations over a renewal have so far been fruitless.

There is also plenty of speculation over the futures of Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, who are both into the final 18 months of their deals.

The Reds were just moments away from adding Marc Guehi to their backline in the summer but the deal was not finalised, and the Englishman has since moved to Manchester City.

Another defender is a necessity at Anfield, and a long-time Liverpool target may be holding out on signing a new deal to finally secure his Merseyside move.

Dayot Upamecano is ‘waiting’ for Liverpool to sign him

When Liverpool signed Konate in 2021, there were plenty of links between the Reds and his defensive partner at the time Dayot Upamecano.

Upamecano ended up signing for Bayern Munich, but the Frenchman is also now into the final six months of his contract, and as it stands will be available for free in the summer.

It was reported recently that Bayern had come to an agreement with the 27-year-old, but Florian Plettenberg has now told Sky Sports that Upamecno is yet to put pen to paper.

"Everyone is waiting for his commitment, his signature. His contract is ready. But Bayern Munich will not improve their offer," Plettenberg said.

The German football insider also added: "Bayern is waiting for weeks, they want a decision soon. But my opinion is he's waiting for Liverpool, for Real Madrid.”

The report also confirmed that, in regards to Liverpool, the interest is mutual and the club are interested in bringing Upamecano to Anfield.

It is almost certain that a central defender will be added to the ranks in the summer window, and if Konate does leave on a free then adding his compatriot for free makes a lot of sense.

The offer on the table from Bayern would reportedly see the defender earn close to €400,000 a week (~£345,000), meaning Liverpool would likely have to match or exceed that figure to secure the Frenchman’s services.

Upamecano’s future is definitely not sealed yet, and the defender could be one of Liverpool’s marquee signings next summer.

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