Chelsea make enquiry about signing £35m centre-back who Timo Werner once called a ‘brilliant defender’

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Chelsea are now being linked in the transfer rumour mill with a move to sign a Premier League centre-back.

Even though it’s only March, the Chelsea transfer speculation has been extremely busy in recent days.

It’s been claimed that the Blues are set to complete a double raid on Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.

First of all, Sporting’s 17-year-old winger Geovany Quenda has completed a Chelsea medical ahead of a rumoured move to Stamford Bridge in 2026. In addition, Dario Essugo has agreed to join Chelsea in 2025, and he’s a Sporting-owned 20-year-old midfielder out on loan with Las Palmas.

The latest transfer rumours suggest that Enzo Maresca’s side have made contact about a central defender.

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Chelsea enquire about signing Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate

According to TBR Football, Chelsea have enquired about possibly signing Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate this summer.

It is understood that Liverpool are in discussions with their 25-year-old defender about a new deal because his contract expires in 2026. However, the Frenchman’s rebuffed the opening offers so far and there’s been no breakthrough yet.

The report adds that Chelsea and Barcelona have made enquiries in recent months about Konate, making contact with the player’s representatives. He’s got interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, too.

Konate has emerged as one of the Premier League’s best centre-halves since his move to Liverpool in a £35m deal (BBC) back in 2021. While superstar Virgil van Dijk gets the plaudits in the Reds defence, he’s quietly very impressive alongside him with great power and composure.

At the age of 25, the France international has already had an impressive club career.

It was recently claimed that Chelsea could go big on a new centre-back in the upcoming summer transfer window. We’re doubtful that the Blues could actually pull off a deal for Liverpool’s Konate, but he would certainly tick every box with his quality.

What Timo Werner once said about Ibrahima Konate

Former Chelsea attacker Timo Werner, who now plays for Tottenham, previously spent time alongside Konate at Leipzig.

Back in May 2022, Werner raved about former teammate Konate via Chelsea’s official website: “I like him a lot. He’s very calm. I played three years with him and he is a brilliant defender. It was unlucky that Chelsea did not buy him one or two years ago, but I think Liverpool did a very good deal with him.”

Konate and Werner played 58 games together at Leipzig, winning 34 times (Transfermarkt). Let’s wait and see if they both end up with Chelsea on their CVs.