In January, sports witness Inter Milan's interest in Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate covered.
L'Interista was certain about the pursuit, clarifying that the Nerazzurri would make a formal offer for the player in January. It was believed that €15m could be enough to seal the deal due to Konate's contract situation.
The centre-back's deal at Liverpool expired in the summer and Inter viewed him as a potential replacement for Stefan de Vrij. The Dutchman was initially expected to leave the Serie A team last month.
Now there is an update on the situation, with the Reds potentially keeping Konate.
Liverpool talks causing difficulty for Inter
The Interista Reports from Christian Chivu were actually made for Konate in January. They put forward €15m for his signature and despite early signs of promise, the approach was rejected.
Despite this, Inter has not given up. They have maintained contact with the France international squad to take advantage of any opportunities that arise to capture him.
His task is being complicated by Liverpool, who are in contract negotiations with Konate. The Merseyside club rejected the January offer as they were very keen to keep him beyond this season.
The 26-year-old also has offers from other European clubs and that is another problem for Inter Milan.
Inter is not leaving Konate
All this must be discouraging but Inter are still trying to move forward on a deal. They are waiting to see if Liverpool actually tie Konate down to a new contract. If things do not progress, the Nerazzurri will be in the mix for a summer signing.
This makes sense, especially since De Vrij and Francesco Acerbi could leave Inter at the end of the season. At that time, Chivu's team needed to sign young defenders to improve their backline.
Signing a player of Konate's quality for free would be an ideal scenario, especially given how finances operate in Serie A. Inter are experts on such deals and landing a centre-back would fit into their approach.
