Richard Hughes nears agreement to replace Ibrahima Konate

One Liverpool centre-back still faces an uncertain future at the club this summer.

Virgil van Dijk may have committed to a further two years at the club, ending speculation about where he will be beyond this season but Ibrahima Konate's fate is very much up in the air.

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The Frenchman doesn't have an expiring contract this year. However, he will enter the final year of his current deal and he has yet to extend.

Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that Paris Saint Germain are ready to make a massive offer to Konate and with the Frenchman being from Paris - that's a move that will definitely appeal to him.

But Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose him on a free contract next season, so it seems like Hughes is already working on a deal to replace Konate with an exciting defender.

And this defender may be an even better fit for Arne Slot's style of play.

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Why Dean Huijsen is being lined up to replace Konate and why an agreement is near

Dean Huijsen has been on Liverpool's transfer radar for a while. The club wanted to bring him in last summer but Huijsen opted to join Bournemouth instead.

Nonetheless, the Reds' interest has remained and that long-standing interest has clearly left a mark on Huijsen. As we revealed in a recent article, the Spanish international seems very enamoured by the prospect of joining Liverpool.

And Liverpool seem to be edging closer to striking an agreement with Bournemouth. We recently wrote about how Bournemouth will have to make two big sales this summer in order to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.

With Huijsen being their most valued asset, it's inevitable that Bournemouth will allow him to leave.

If they do, Liverpool are the most likely team to strike an agreement with the Cherries.

This is literally what Richard Hughes was made for. He'll still know his former employers very well and he will have his old pals left at Bournemouth who will likely be open to doing business with him.

The Hughes factor in this Huijsen deal gives Liverpool a massive edge and it's why amid Bournemouth's PSR struggles an agreement is edging closer and closer.

At 20-years-old, Huijsen would be the perfect candidate to step into Konate's shoes. He brings about a lot of experience already having played for Juventus and AS Roma.

He's a Spanish international and has an entire season under his belt playing in the Premier League.

On top of that, he is also a very good progressive player. He always looks to move the ball forward. He averages 11 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him third among centre-backs in the Premier League this season.

Huijsen also ranks in the top 10 for passes into the final third (8.07 per 90).

That ability makes him a player tailor made for Slot's possession based system where the defenders are required to instigate attacks.

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This is something Huijsen does even better than Konate and that's why selling the Frenchman to sign Huijsen (if he refuses to pen a new deal this summer) makes sense for the Reds.