Liverpool owners FSG can repeat Christian Benteke transfer trick to sign Klopp top target

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will set record straight with Villa

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Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have one trick up their sleeve as they look to land Ibrahima Konate this summer. The Anfield officials used a similar ploy when they signed Christian Benteke from Aston Villa back in 2015.

Liverpool are able to use a similar tactic on RB Leipzig star Konate that the owners FSG utilised back in 2015 on Benteke.

The centre-back is a top target of Jurgen Klopp’s after a miserable season in defence which has seen the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip lost to injury.

Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies were signed in the January transfer window and Nat Phillips has also made the step up from the reserves.

But the lack of a quality defender has hit Liverpool, who look set to relinquish their Premier League title to Manchester City.

They are also facing a battle to stay in the Champions League after losing 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg.

The transfer window can offer solutions to Klopp, who has made Konate a top priority after missing out on his Leipzig pal Dayot Upamecano.

Bayern Munich have landed the Frenchman ahead of Liverpool, as well as the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Konate has a release clause worth £32m which will become active in the summer and FSG have a trick up their sleeve to lower the costs this year.

According to the Liverpool Echo, they will spread the payments over a number of years as to limit the impact a transfer will have on this summer’s budget.

It is a similar ploy to the one they used to land Benteke from Aston Villa back in 2015 when they forked out his £32.5m release clause.

The Belgian was brought when Brendan Rodgers was in charge and only remained for one season before joining Crystal Palace in a deal worth £27m.

Nevertheless, from a business point of view, Liverpool pulled off a sneaky deal that saw both them and Villa winners.

RB Leipzig may not feel so lucky, though, losing both their centre-backs while other players such as Marcel Sabitzer and Alexander Sorloth have been linked with moves away, as well as their highly-rated manager Julian Nagelsmann.

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