£50m Dean Huijsen is firmly Liverpool's SECOND choice

Liverpool have a different plan in mind. The Reds only want Dean Huijsen as a second-choice option.

Liverpool are one of the teams in for Dean Huijsen this summer, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The Bournemouth star has been a revelation since arriving on the south coast last summer.

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He's also available for a low, low price. Well, low for one of Europe's brightest young talents, anyway.

Huijsen has a £50m release clause in his contract, allowing him to move with some certainty once the season ends. Liverpool have reportedly made Bournemouth aware that they're in position to pay that clause - but they're far from the only ones.

Chelsea appear to be the best-placed team to rival the Reds. They're eager to add Huijsen to their ever-growing list of young players and will happily pay that clause.

Liverpool would need to persuade Huijsen that Anfield is a better fit for him. Now, that's certainly easier to do with the Premier League title on Merseyside, while Chelsea scrap for UEFA Champions League qualification.

But it also seems that Liverpool have other ideas. Huijsen doesn't appear to be their first-choice option at centre-back next season.

He's merely the backup.

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Liverpool want Konate to stay

The thing lurking in the background of all the Huijsen hype is that a £50m move for Liverpool only made any sense if Ibrahima Konate left. There's a real chance of that, after all.

Konate enters the final year of his contract this summer and Anfield Watch understands that Paris Saint-Germain are eager to sign him.

The defender is from Paris, after all, and came through at Paris FC, PSG's local rivals. The latter's policy of snapping up the best French talent includes Konate.

If he left, Huijsen would be the ideal replacement. It's difficult to believe that Liverpool could persuade the Bournemouth player to move to them if Konate didn't leave, though.

And now The Times makes it clear that Liverpool do want him to stay. They're hoping for a breakthrough in contract talks that could see a new long-term deal materialise.

It would certainly end any move for Huijsen but tie down Liverpool's defence. The Reds could really use that certainty, too, as Virgil van Dijk does 'only' have two years left on his contract.

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We'll have to wait and see how things play out but as they stand, Liverpool are hoping Konate - and not Huijsen - is lining up for them next season.