'Not being funny': Former Liverpool centre-back suggests he could play for Reds instead of Ibrahima Konate
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Liverpool’s defence has been absolutely superb all season long under Arne Slot.
The Reds have conceded only nine goals across 16 matches in all competitions. They have been rock solid.
Slot deserves credit for that, having turned a slightly porous Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp into one who look comfortable and controlled at all times.
But aside from the Liverpool head coach, the main applause must go to centre-back duo Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
Konate in particular is worth a mention given that the £35m man has improved so drastically from his form at the end of last season.
But despite Konate’s brilliance up until this point, former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has claimed that he could do just as good a job as the Frenchman.
Mark Lawrenson suggests new partner for Virgil van Dijk
Lawrenson is very much a Liverpool legend. Having played over 350 times for the club, the former Ireland international was key to the team who won five league titles and a European Cup between 1982 and 1988.
Since retirement, Lawrenson has made a name as a pundit with a particularly dry approach.
As a result, when speaking to TalkSPORT (08/11/24 8.11am) it was not a big surprise to hear the 67-year-old joke that he could still do a job for Liverpool next to Van Dijk.
“I mean, Van Dijk is just a top, top player,” said the former defender.
READ MORE: Andy Robertson roasts Ibrahima Konate after his latest Instagram post
“Konate got injured last Saturday, he damaged his shoulder, I think, it was. I was at the game before, and you thought, crikey, he is going to be out for three months, the way he went off.
“But generally, generally when he has come in and has played now recently, he has done really, really well.
“I don't know whether he needs a little bit of more confidence, but he is big, he is strong, but I am not being funny, even I could play well alongside Van Dijk.”
Liverpool looking for new Van Dijk partner?
It does seem to be true that Liverpool will indeed be looking for a new centre-back in the near future.
Lawrenson’s former Match of the Day colleague Gary Lineker has claimed that Liverpool are interested in Murillo of Nottingham Forest, for example.
But given that Van Dijk is 33 and is rapidly running out of time on his contract, it’s more likely that the Reds will see any new signing as a long-term partner for Konate.
Clearly, Lawrenson was joking here, but we think he is still doing a bit of a disservice to just how good Konate is.
Yes, he surely benefits from having one of the best centre-backs of all time next to him, that’s a given. But Ibou is a super defender in his own right.
