How good is Ibrahima Konate and why do Liverpool want him?

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How good is Ibrahima Konate? Liverpool are likely signing the player, according to reports, and could complete the deal any day now.

So let’s have a look at how good Ibrahima Konate really is and why Liverpool want him this summer.

How good is Ibrahima Konate?

Konate is a strong, athletic centre-back who’s solid with the ball at his feet. Essentially, he’s everything you want from a defender in this day and age.

If we have a look at FBref for the data, we can quickly compare Konate to other centre-backs across the top European leagues.

One thing stands out immediately – he’s 98th percentile for dribbling. That’s quite exceptional and goes some way to showing why Konate is highly-rated.

Remarkably few defenders are capable of moving forward with the ball while also being solid at the back. Konate, then, is something special.

But defensively, too, he can hold his own. Konate won 75% of his aerial duels this season, for instance. Someone like Harry Maguire narrowly beats that (77%) but it’s above Ruben Dias (68%).

Konate is okay against dribblers in isolation, too. He lets someone past him on average of 0.65 times per game. This is higher than both Magiure (0.35) and Dias (0.54) but not so much that it’s a worry.

Passing is where Konate needs to improve, though. His pass completion is fairly low for a top centre-back at 86%. Maguire isn’t elite at this either but at least keeps his just below 90%. Dias, of course, excels with 93% completion.

The main problem for Konate is his long passing. He completes just under two thirds (65%) at around eight per game. This is low compared to top players. Maguire completes 79% and 11 per game. Dias completes 84% and 14 per game.

But that brings us to the important factor here – Konate turned 22 just today. He’s very young and is exceptional for his age, but he’s not yet an elite player.

The hope will be that he can reach the heights of other top defenders. And that brings us to why Liverpool reportedly want him.

Why do Liverpool want Konate?

Several strong sources, including the BBC, claim Liverpool will sign Konate for around £34m. It seems very likely at this stage.

The need for him is strong, too. Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all had season-ending injuries this season, leaving the Reds without a senior centre-back.

They’ll want to rectify that this season and bringing in a talented defender will be at the top of their summer list. But Konate also offers something more.

Van Dijk and Matip will both be 30 by mid-August. They’re also returning from serious injuries and that’s not a good mix. We can’t be sure how many years they have left at the top.

Matip, in particular, has struggled with injury issues for years now. They may not be top players in three or four years time – the risk is there, certainly.

So signing a top, young defender is sensible. Konate can come in now, learn under those two, and develop into a top player who replaces them long-term.

That’s the plan, anyway. With Konate’s potential, Liverpool will hope they’re signing their Van Dijk replacement.