06 November 2023 , 13:35
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Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has admitted that he could one day see himself playing for Paris Saint-Germain after growing up in the French capital.
Konate, 24, has established himself as an important figure in Jurgen Klopp 's plans since moving to Anfield in the summer of 2021 from RB Leipzig, making 64 appearances in total; a figure that would be significantly higher were it not for an injury-ravaged campaign last year.
The France international has looked back to his best this season and is likely to attract admiring glances from Europe's heavyweights - such as PSG - if he continues to flourish in the Premier League.
When he was asked specifically about a potential move to PSG and whether or not he'd thought about it in the past by Canal Plus, Konate responded: “If I said no, I’d be lying, but if you’re asking, is it one of my objectives? Not at all.”
While Konate stopped short of angling for a move to his hometown club he did go on to commend their transfer policy, with a number of homegrown stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Lucas Hernandez and Ousmane Dembele all plying their trade at the Parc des Princes.
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He added: “PSG has made sure to recruit players who understand each other well and who play with each other for the France national team. Even for the people and the Parisian fans, it makes them happy. It’s what they’ve been waiting for for years, having Parisian players or at least French players in the team.”
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Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was asked for his thoughts on hometown club Paris Saint-Germain (Premier League)Konate's comments, which were made in the wake of Sunday's 1-1 draw away at Luton, may not prove to be too reassuring for Liverpool fans, who rate Konate highly.
Since his move to Anfield the defender has established himself as a regular in the national team under Didier Deschamps. However, the Frenchman's decision to use Konate for long periods following his muscle injuries was slammed by Klopp following the last international break.
Speaking after Konate had been rested for the Europa League meeting with Toulouse, Klopp told RMC Sport: "I love absolutely everything about Ibou, but the problem is Ibou had injury problems from time to time and Mr Deschamps played him 90 and 87 minutes in the two games.
"So we used the time now to give him a little rest. He could have played [against Toulouse] of course, but he has to play on Sunday again. That's why I spoke to Ibou and told him, 'Tell Mr Deschamps that's how you rest a player'. Not three minutes, no, a full 90."