Liverpool have option to seal £55m transfer with terms already agreed

A gap that was simply too big to bridge was how the discrepancy was described between what the club were prepared to offer and what Konate and his representatives felt he was worth after five years at Anfield.

Having arrived as a relative unknown in the summer of 2021 from RB Leipzig, the Frenchmen developed into a fully-fledged international who played in a Champions League final and won big trophies at Anfield, including the Premier League title last year.

Konate, who had grown to a level that had even seen him captain France at points last term, is now set to start for les Bleus at the World Cup in the knowledge that he will be one of the most sought-after free agents after the tournament ends.

Real Madrid, with perhaps a depressing inevitability for many Reds fans, is expected to be his next destination.

Liverpool officials, meanwhile, have not stressed the sudden need for a replacement this summer.

It's thought that the Reds might look more intently at the centre-back market during the window but with so many other areas to address, the claims of Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet have been talked up privately.

Jacquet, of course, is yet to officially arrive at the club; his £60m switch from Rennes is set to be confirmed on July 1.

Liverpool fended off competition from Chelsea to land the 20-year-old and he spoke last month about his desire to learn by watching and training closely with Konate and captain Virgil van Dijk. At least he will have the opportunity to pick up plenty from the Reds skipper this pre-season.

Of course, expecting a player who only turns 21 next month to immediately shine at the sharp end of the Premier League is a big ask, particularly at a time when Liverpool have a lot of issues at right-back. Jeremie Frimpong has yet to convince in the role and Conor Bradley is still finding his way back after a long-term knee injury ended his campaign in January.

Even with a partner as vaunted and as experienced as Van Dijk, it is unfair to expect Jacquet to calm the disquiet over the nature of Konate's departure and his new team-mate, Leoni, has his own troubles to contend with.

The Italian looked a seamless fit during his one and only Liverpool appearance, but an 80-minute cameo against Championship side Southampton in the League Cup is no real barometer to measure Leoni's current level, despite the understandable excitement at his potential.

Liverpool may, to borrow a Richard Hughes phrase, be taking an "opportunistic" approach to centre-back signings this summer but their failure to land Marc Guehi last year looks worse than ever, even if the enormous wage packet offered by Manchester City made steering clear of a January pursuit seem more reasonable.

Even with the question marks around Jacquet's ability to immediately fulfil his potential on Merseyside - particularly since he is coming fresh off shoulder surgery earlier this year - and the obvious issues around Leoni's season-ending ACL injury, the Reds believe they have signed two of the best young defenders in France and Italy. And at a combined cost of nearly £90m, that confidence is reflected in the price tags.

At present, it looks like both will be given the chance to compete for a place alongside Van Dijk when the season gets underway. It's a risky strategy but Liverpool may feel they have somewhat of an insurance policy in England's World Cup squad.

It's now 12 months since Jarell Quansah traded Liverpool for Bayer Leverkusen and the Warrington-born centre-back has seemingly flourished, despite the merry-go-round in the BayArena hotseat that will see the defender return to Germany later this summer to play under his third manager, Carlos Martinez, after Erik ten Hag was replaced early on by Kasper Hjumland.

Quansah admitted in April that his choice to move was a relatively straightforward one after Leverkusen offered him regular, first-team football, saying: "To be honest, I wouldn't say it was the hardest decision because I just wanted to play.

"I felt like I could play at the top level, the Bundesliga's a top league and being able to play in the Champions League and play top games. "I think you just have maybe a gut feeling. Sometimes you can't think about it too much and listen to too many people to be honest, because you can listen to a few things and get persuaded."

It's difficult to state with confidence that Quansah would have stayed with the club he came through the youth ranks with had he known how Konate's contract talks were going to pan out, but it's fair to reflect Liverpool's £35m sale last summer was agreed with some reluctance from the club's perspective.

The Reds included a buy-back clause in the terms that took Quansah to Leverkusen, which is believed to be around the £55m mark. And, crucially, the ECHO understands the England centre-half has already agreed personal terms on an Anfield contract, should the Reds decide to exercise that option.

It means there is no need for complicated or protracted negotiations with Leverkusen or any concern that Quansah himself might have wage demands too lofty for Liverpool to realistically meet.

That would make any deal much cleaner for the Reds to execute should they decide that, after two years away, the 23-year-old has become the mainstay of the England team they felt he could become.

In many ways, Quansah now finds himself in the shop window where his former club are concerned.

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