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Konate explains family affair that led him to Liverpool & France’s 2022 World Cup squad.
Ibrahima Konate has revealed why his career management is a family affair and how that approach helped to secure him a transfer to Liverpool.
The 23-year-old defender originally caught the spotlight at Sochaux in his native France before moving on to improve his profile in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig. He is a member of France’s team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A £36 million ($43m) move to Anfield was then made in the summer of 2021, where he benefited from having his brothers close by for guidance and long-term planning.
Konate has told GOAL why he puts so much faith in the hands of family members: “They have been there since I started football. The more you grow and pass stages in football, the more you realise that there are a lot of people trying to come around you. Sometimes you take stock and you realise that the people around you have a personal interest. They [family] want the best for me and they are the only people I can trust.”
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Konate added on the process that saw him link up with Premier League heavyweights, as Jurgen Klopp bought into his potential: “When we found out there was Liverpool, we got together and talked. Ok, there’s Liverpool, there’s Leipzig, what do we do now? In our discussion, we look forward to the next four or five years and everyone gives their idea and their point of view.
Everyone says different things and no one is going to tell you you’re wrong. It’s like a puzzle, once I’ve put everyone’s points of view together, well, I see things more clearly. And the decision is easier to make but in the end, it’s me who makes the decision.”
The highly regarded centre-half has made 33 appearances for Liverpool thus far, and as France looks to defend their title in the Middle East, he will be hoping to return to Merseyside at the end of December with a World Cup trophy in his possession.