Liverpool are looking for a replacement for Ibrahima Konate, and five Premier League clubs are interested in this World Cup star.
Liverpool are said to be interested in a World Cup defender who could team up with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Andoni Iraola’s defense. It’s been a busy summer for Liverpool after they parted ways with Arne Slot and brought in Iraola as the new boss.
Because Iraola used to work at Bournemouth, a few players from the Cherries, like Alex Scott, Rayan, Adrien Truffert, and Eli Junior Kroupi, are being linked with moves to Liverpool. The club has also been linked with Jarell Quansah, a former Liverpool defender who might be returning after a season with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
Some players like Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Curtis Jones could be leaving Liverpool soon, while Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Ibrahima Konaté have already confirmed their exits. Konaté, who’s expected to join Real Madrid, was a key figure at Liverpool and recently shared that he didn’t realize his last game for the club had been back in May.
Liverpool will probably look to replace Konaté, even though Giovanni Leoni is recovering from an ACL injury and Jérémy Jacquet has just joined the team. According to TeamTalk, Liverpool is one of five Premier League clubs interested in South Korean defender Lee Han-beom from FC Midtjylland.
Lee is 23 and started in South Korea’s 2-1 win over Czechia on June 14. Liverpool, Leeds, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Brighton are all keeping a close eye on him. Since making his South Korea debut in 2025, he’s become a regular pick for coach Hong Myung-bo.
Lee joined Midtjylland from FC Seoul in 2023 and helped them win the Danish Cup last season by scoring the only goal in the final. With just a year left on his contract, many top European clubs like Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Monaco, and Lyon are watching him closely.
Even with interest from big English clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea, Lee said in an interview that his dream is to play for Manchester City and work with Pep Guardiola. He also said he’d be happy playing in other top leagues like Germany’s Bundesliga.
When asked about his toughest opponent, Lee mentioned Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest. He said Gibbs-White isn’t his designated striker, but he’s very smart and tough, making him a tricky player to mark one-on-one.