Man Utd have reportedly opened talks with the agent of RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is seemingly keen to bolster his backline.
Konate, 20, came through the youth ranks at Paris FC and Sochaux before joining Leipzig in 2017, while he has been capped from U16 to U21 level for France.
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An injury has limited him to just eight appearances so far this season, but he has featured on 71 occasions for the Bundesliga outfit and has seemingly impressed to attract attention from elsewhere.
As reported by the Daily Mail, via Le10Sport, it’s suggested that Man Utd have made contact with his agent and have opened talks over a potential summer switch to Old Trafford.
No further details are provided in terms of whether or not those talks are positive and there is no mention of a possible transfer fee, and so that would suggest that the talks are perhaps still in their early stages.
Nevertheless, it’s an interesting transfer target as far as Man Utd are concerned, as Solskjaer seems well set in that department given the solid partnership built between Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof in the heart of the backline this season with Eric Bailly ready to come in if required.
That said, as per ESPN, Roma are keen to sign Chris Smalling on a permanent basis according to boss Paulo Fonseca, while Marcos Rojo is also currently out on loan and could be moved on too with just over a year remaining on his current contract with United.
With Phil Jones struggling to make an impact, Solskjaer may feel as though a defensive reshuffle is still needed, and particularly if Smalling and Rojo leave, bringing in Konate could help fill that void with a long-term solution and further competition for places to keep Lindelof especially on his toes as well as club captain Maguire.
With the coronavirus pandemic expected to have a negative impact on the finances of clubs around the world, it remains to be seen if the pieces fall into place to allow Konate to seal a switch to Old Trafford this summer.