Liverpool are preparing to sign a ‘monstrous’ Premier League star as he prepares to leave the club this summer.
Reds focus on new centre-back amid Konate uncertainty
The Reds secured the signing of Jeremy Jacquet during the January transfer window, with Ibrahima Konate’s contract expiring at the end of the season, but manager Arne Slott still hopes the Frenchman will remain at Anfield beyond the summer.
“We’re in negotiations with him so we’ll know what we want,” Slott said. “Obviously we want him to stay, but negotiations are ongoing so we’ll see what happens. If we don’t want him to stay, we won’t negotiate.”
The Dutchman also took time to praise Konate’s recent performances, saying: “Ibou has been doing really well lately. We had a lot of good games at the beginning of the season, but he was also one of the reasons we conceded goals.”
So while there may be no reason to bring in another defender at the end of the season, the Merseysiders are keen to sign a Premier League centre-back.
This is according to a report from TEAMtalk, who say Liverpool are laying the groundwork to sign Nottingham Forest star Murillo, who is preparing to leave the Tricky Trees in the summer.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also actively looking to sign the Brazil international, but along with Chelsea, the Reds are the most interested.
With Joe Gomez’s future also uncertain, Slott may have to bring in another defender in the summer, but a deal for the Nottingham Forest defender could be expensive as his current employers are expected to hold on to more than £50m.
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‘Monster’ Murillo could be an exciting replacement for Konate
The 23-year-old tends to perform well in matches against Liverpool and has also received high praise from journalist Ryan Taylor following his strong performance last season.
The one-capped Brazil international, who also scored in the 3-0 win over Tricky Trees at Anfield earlier this season, has enjoyed an excellent season on an individual level, averaging 1.6 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League, the most of any Forest side.
Most recently, the Forest star won three of his four encounters in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, completing 27 of the 30 passes he attempted, giving him a 90% success rate.
Murillo could be ready to move to one of the Premier League’s top clubs and could be an exciting replacement for Konate.
