Ibrahima Konate

Centre-back Ibrahima Konate bolstered Liverpool FC's defensive ranks when he joined the club ahead of the 2021-22 season.The France international agreed a move to the Reds from RB Leipzig after four seasons with the Bundesliga side in which he played almost a century of games in domestic and European competition.Konate's first steps in football came with Paris FC before he joined the academy of FC Sochaux in 2014 and switched from an aspiring striker to the middle of defence.He progressed through the ranks at Sochaux and made his professional debut in January 2017, which was followed by a run of Ligue 2 appearances in the second half of that 2016-17 season.Konate's promising performances quickly caught the attention of Leipzig and they swooped to sign the defender on a free transfer that summer.Ibrahima went on to play 95 times for Leipzig in all competitions, with almost half of that tally coming during a standout 2018-19 campaign.With Konate a consistent figure, Die Roten Bullen finished third in the Bundesliga – boasting the division's best defensive record – and were runners-up in the German cup.He also gained Champions League experience with eight runouts in the tournament before the Reds finalised a deal to bring him to Anfield.The No.5 made an impressive start to life on Merseyside, claiming 29 appearances during a remarkable debut 2021-22 campaign that saw Jürgen Klopp's team launch a bid for a stunning quadruple.After featuring as a substitute and scoring a penalty in the Carabao Cup final shootout victory over Chelsea, Konate started the FA Cup showpiece against the same opponents – having netted in the last-four success versus Manchester City – as Liverpool completed a domestic double at Wembley.The centre-back, a firm fan favourite at Anfield, also earned a place in the XI for the Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid, with his individual form leading to a first senior France call-up.And his progress continued as he made five appearances to help Les Bleus reach the 2022 World Cup final, where they lost on penalties to Argentina.Konate featured 37 times in 2023-24 for the Reds – his highest total yet – including a start versus Chelsea at Wembley when the Carabao Cup was lifted again.He was then largely ever-present in Arne Slot's first season as head coach, helping Liverpool reclaim the Premier League title with four games to spare.