Liverpool transfer news as ridiculous Ibrahima Konate claim emerges from Italy

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A spurious transfer report published in the Italian press claims that Liverpool could allow Ibrahima Konate to leave during the January transfer window for just $17.5 million. Considering Liverpool only currently has two fit center-backs, there is no chance that the Reds would allow one of them to leave next month.

Even if Liverpool had managed to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window, the Reds would still have been unlikely to sanction a January exit for Konate. Coincidentally, the report says that Inter Milan is interested in signing either Konate or Guehi in January – but a deal to sign the Crystal Palace captain seems equally unlikely.

Crystal Palace center-back Marc Guehi (Image: Getty Images) Liverpool fans will remember that the Reds agreed a fee with Palace for the England star on September 1, only for Palace to U-turn on that deal over concerns about a lack of depth in the Eagles' defense. That left the Reds a defender short of where they wanted to be heading into the new season, and Leoni's major injury, coupled with Gomez's problems, has hugely exacerbated the situation — were Konate or Virgil van Dijk to suffer a serious injury now, Liverpool would be in big trouble at the back.