Al-Ittihad Club is seeking to rebuild a strong team, after it failed to maintain the Saudi League title, which Al-Nassr won, and it also lost the King’s Cup title to Al-Khuloud in the semi-finals on penalties.
Al-Ittihad also bid farewell to the quarter-finals of the AFC Elite Champions League against Machida Zelivia of Japan with a clean goal.
After the expiration of his contract with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate decided not to renew his contract with the Reds, as the French defender prepares to leave after 5 seasons spent at Anfield.
The Foot Mercato network said that this decision aroused the interest of many clubs, including the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, which showed great interest in the French defender.
Konate joined Liverpool in 2021 from Leipzig for 40 million euros. The French international player (27 international matches) played 183 matches for the Reds, during which he won the English Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the League Cup twice, and reached the Champions League final.
Despite repeated attempts by the Reds management to extend his contract, the 27-year-old defender chose not to renew his contract, which expires on June 30.
Ibrahima Konate’s name has long been associated with Real Madrid, and his name has also been mentioned with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, and he has many prestigious options for the next stage of his football career.
The French network confirmed that the Saudi club Al-Ittihad “entered with full force” in the race to sign Konate.
She explained: “The Saudi club greatly appreciates the French player’s potential, and is closely following his contractual situation, aware of the rare opportunity provided by a player of his level who is available for free.
She continued: “However, the process is not easy at all for the club, which is based in Jeddah, due to the state of instability that the club is experiencing as a result of Conceicao’s approaching departure and the lack of knowledge of the identity of the new coach.”
Al-Ittihad realizes that presenting an integrated project for Ibrahima Konate will not be an easy matter. However, the Saudi club is still determined to make a significant impact in the transfer market, and the French player is a major target to strengthen its defense line.
She concluded: “It remains to be seen whether the federation’s management will be able to quickly clarify its position to convince the player to wear the team’s shirt, especially since he has plenty of time to consider the offers presented to him and compare them.”
