Ibrahima Konate is on the verge of joining Liverpool with a £36m deal expected to be completed in the next 48 hours.

Jurgen Klopp has made no secret of his desire to bolster the club’s defensive arsenal this summer after his backline was plagued by injuries throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

The Reds‘ packed treatment room undoubtedly hampered their efforts to retain their Premier League crown, and securing Champions League football for next season ultimately represented something of a successful campaign given the circumstances.

With Klopp eager to ensure his side don’t suffer a similar defensive crisis in the future, the club have been pursuing RB Leipzig’s Konate with a view to a summer move.

The Times now report that a deal has been struck between Liverpool and the player, with a £36m move to be completed in the next 48 hours.

While the arrival of Konate will undoubtedly add some much-needed depth to Liverpool’s backline, it raises questions over the future of Schalke loanee Ozan Kabak.

The youngster has performed admirably at Anfield since joining on a temporary basis in February, putting behind him the shaky start he suffered in his maiden outing at Leicester.

Liverpool have the option to make the switch permanent this summer with an £18m price tag agreed and Kabak himself has stressed his desire to remain on Merseyside.

However, given the enormous financial strain on football clubs this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seems unlikely that Liverpool will be keen to splash out such a figure following Konate’s £36m arrival.

The emergence of Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams has been one of the highlights of the Reds‘ underwhelming campaign, and it may be that Klopp sees both rookie centre-backs as adequate backup for the first team and so won’t be tempted into making another big-money defensive signing.