Richard Hughes’ FOUR man shortlist to replace Ibrahima Konate

There are four players who could be ready to replace Ibrahima Konate at Liverpool as Richard Hughes could move on from the French international.

Over the last year negotiations to extend his deal at Anfield have dithered with Konate now set to enter the final year of his contract this summer.

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According to a recent report from The Times, Konate has demanded £200k-per-week in his new contract, which would be a massive increase from his current £80k-per-week in his current salary.

Anfield Watch exclusively revealed that Paris Saint Germain are interested in signing the Frenchman and the Parisian side would probably be able to meet his wage demands.

With the impasse being where it is now, it is a possibility that Liverpool sell Konate this summer in order to avoid losing him on a free next summer.

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And with that being said Anfield Watch has taken a look at four players who could be on Hughes' shortlist to replace the Liverpool defender.

Loic Bade

He's a Paris FC academy graduate just like Konate. Loic Bade has been excellent for Sevilla over the last couple of seasons, and he seems like he's ready to be on the move.

Soon to be 25-years-old, he's in the prime of his career and he fits what Liverpool will be looking for in a defender. He's quick and he can cover a lot of ground.

He's relatively strong in the air as well and ranks among the top five La Liga centre-backs for aerial duels won at 65%.

This combined with his ability to play out from the back and instigate chances for his teammates, makes Bade an ideal option.

He's not going to break the bank for Liverpool either. He was available for as little as €30m during the January transfer window, which would make him an absolute bargain.

On paper this is a move that makes sense.

Ousmane Diomande

At 21-years-old he seems like the perfect option for Liverpool. Diomande oozes confidence on the ball. Among Liga NOS centre-backs, he has the best pass completion rate (95%).

He also has the second best aerial duel success rate in the league among centre-backs at 68%.

Still so young, Diomande's ability on the ball combined with his defensive prowess will mean he is absolutely going to be on Liverpool's radar as they scout for a new centre-back.

In the past Diomande has also played as a full-back which makes him a versatile addition. He would be a very good addition alongside Virgil van Dijk and could form a dominant partnership with the Liverpool captain.

He's got the tools to go very far in the game and become one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. Liverpool would be very smart to make him their replacement for Konate.

Sikou Niakate

The Braga defender is a bit of an underrated profile, but he's recently been linked with a move to Liverpool. At 25-years-old he's playing in the prime of his years and he's stood out in the Portuguese league.

Niakate is strong in the air and is very dominant at winning duels. He's quick and reads the game really well.

He hasn't quite showcased his quality at the highest of levels, but he could be a rough diamond and the Reds do like to turn rough diamonds into absolute marvels.

Something that stands out about him is that he makes a lot of forward passes (23 per 90 minutes) which ranks him in the top five in the league among centre-backs.

That will be music to Arne Slot's ears.

Jan Paul van Hecke

He's Dutch so that already ticks a box for Arne Slot as that would mean adding another player to his strong contingent of Dutch players at the club.

Van Hecke is not necessarily a strong aerial defender but he makes up for that with his brilliant ball playing ability. He averages the most progressive passes (11 per 90 minutes) among centre-backs in the Premier League this season.

He's just brilliant at dictating the game from the back and playing alongside his compatriot in Van Dijk might mean that he doesn't even need to be that strong in the air.

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If he can make up for his lack of aerial prowess with creating goals and dictating the play from the back, he will be a strong addition to Slot's side and someone Liverpool could easily make a move for.

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