Liverpool are reportedly tussling with rivals Manchester City for the signing of an “excellent” Premier League player who could start at next summer’s World Cup.
The Reds have struggled defensively all season along, with new signings Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez struggling to make fast starts to their Anfield careers.
Ibrahima Konate has also been well short of his best, while Alisson’s injury hasn’t helped matters, and even Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been perfect.
Liverpool missed out on signing Crystal Palace and England star Marc Guehi, and it looks as though they may move for a player who he knows well.
According to Caught Offside, the Premier League champions are “monitoring” Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa, with City and Tottenham also mentioned in the report.
It is claimed that the 28-year-old “has re-emerged as a more achievable target” to Guehi for Liverpool, with Chelsea, West Ham, Newcastle United, and Crystal Palace all showing an interest, too.
Is Konsa as good an option as Guehi for Liverpool?
Konsa has matured into such a consistent player for Villa, and if John Stones isn’t fit for the 2026 World Cup, there is every chance that he will start alongside Guehi for the Three Lions.
He was an influential figure in the Villans’ 1-0 win at home to City in the Premier League last weekend, getting the second-highest rating from WhoScored, and Troy Deeney heaped praise on his performance:
“In my opinion he was man of the match, I thought he was excellent. Solid, some really smart plays. In the first half, he puts his leg back when Erling Haaland would be through on goal. In the second half, if he doesn’t make the contact, Haaland is again through. Excellent defending, excellent in being a general. I thought he was fantastic.”
Konsa is three years older than Guehi, however, and signing a 28-year-old isn’t great in terms of potential sell-on value, so Liverpool should still be looking at the Palace ace as the preferred option out of the two.
That’s not to say that the Villa defender couldn’t be a strong addition, however, and bringing in both him and Guehi could even work if Konate moves on next summer.
