Napoli want to sign Liverpool superstar as replacement for Bayern bound Kim Min-jae - Reports
Serie A champions Napoli have reportedly set their sights on Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté as a potential replacement for Bayern Munich-bound Kim Min-jae as per Corriere dello Sport.
The Partenopei's are reportedly set to lose their highly rated center-back Kim Min-jae to Bayern, who are closing in on the South Korean defender's signature.
As revealed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Bavarians would look to activate Kim's release clause, which is believed to be in the region of £43 million and would be valid for a 15-day period between July 1 to July 15.
The 26-year-old combative center-back exceeded all expectations following his transfer to Napoli last summer from Turkish club Fenerbahçe.
He immediately became an integral part of Napoli's 2022-23 Serie A winning squad and even won the league's best defender award. Kim helped the Partenopei's record 16 league clean sheets while conceding 26 goals.
With the defender's exit now imminent, Napoli are currently on the hunt for a suitable replacement. One player has now emerged as a potential option for the Italian champions and it's no other than Konate Liverpool.
The 24-year-old defender is widely considered as one of Europe's promising defenders, since securing a move to Anfield from RB Leipzig in 2021.
However, Ibrahima Konate hasn't been able to live up to full expectations since his transfer to England, with injuries and fitness-related issues depriving him of enjoying regular minutes at Liverpool.
Napoli, on the other hand, are quite confident of tempting Liverpool into parting ways with Konate this summer as they hope to bring him to Naples ahead of the next season.
The Frenchman played a combined total of 2080 minutes of football action under Jurgen Klopp last season. He also helped the Reds keep nine clean sheets in 24 appearances across all competitions.
It will be interesting to see if the Reds will part ways with Konate this summer, amid transfer interest from Italian giants Napoli.
Jurgen Klopp's first words on Liverpool's new signing Dominik Szoboszlai
The Reds head coach Jurgen Klopp has lavished praise on new club signing Dominik Szoboszlai, who recently joined his side from RB Leipzig.
The Premier League giants splashed out a whooping £60 million transfer fee to trigger the release clause of the Hungarian international, making him their second signing of the ongoing transfer window.
Following his unveiling as a new Reds player, Klopp was quick to welcome the 22-year-old attacking midfielder. He also stressed that Szoboszlai would form a part of the club's present and future.
Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Jurgen Klopp said:
"The first thing for me to say is welcome to Liverpool, Dominik. I know how excited he is to be here with us, so it is important that he understands that we are all just as excited to have him."
"This is a signing for our present and also for our future and the work that has gone into it could not be more appreciated," he added.
The Hungarian international will wear the famous number 8 shirt previously worn by Naby Keita at Liverpool next season. It will be interesting to see how he performs for the Reds.