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£433m release clause: Liverpool eyeing statement signing as immediate replacement for Konate

Liverpool could reportedly seek to replace Ibrahima Konate with a much sought-after Spanish defender who boasts an eye-watering release clause.

Following reports that he was unable to agree a new contract at Anfield, the 27-year-old confirmed on Sunday that he’ll leave the Reds when his current deal expires at the end of this month, concluding a five-year spell on Merseyside in which he became a Premier League champion.

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As things stand, the Frenchman’s departure will leave Arne Slot’s successor as LFC head coach with four senior centre-backs – Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and two youngsters in Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet.

Liverpool monitoring Marc Pubill

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are among several clubs monitoring Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill, who’s also being watched by Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 22-year-old’s importance to his current club is reflected in him having a gargantuan release clause of €500m (£432.9m) as part of a contract which runs to 2030 (AS), this putting Diego Simeone’s side in an incredibly strong negotiating position if any prospective suitors were to come calling.

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Pubill would be a tremendous replacement for Konate at Liverpool

Similar to Gomez, Pubill is comfortable operating at centre-back or right-back, a versatility which’d be most welcome for Liverpool considering the injury problems we’ve had in those positions over the past year.

He’s renowed for his composure in possession, aerial supremacy and intelligent reading of the play (Hooligan Soccer), and his statistics from the 2025/26 LaLiga campaign (see below, from Fotmob) go some way to explaining why he was included in Spain’s squad for the World Cup.

There’s also a strong chance that the Reds will soon have a fellow Spaniard in the dugout if they appoint Andoni Iraola as Arne Slot’s successor, and hopefully the 22-year-old might be enticed by the prospect of an exciting new project at Anfield.

With Konate leaving, Leoni and Jacquet talented but raw, and Van Dijk and Gomez having just one year left on their contracts, Liverpool could certainly do with bringing in a proven elite-level centre-back this summer.

Pubill seems to tick plenty of boxes in that regard, although fending off the strong competition for his signature won’t be easy for sporting director Richard Hughes.

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