In just five years time, Ibrahima Konate has gone from a relatively unknown, central defensive prodigy at RB Leipzig to a centre-back who looks set to start at the World Cup for the defending champions.
At the age of 17, Konate was signed by the Bundesliga club on a free transfer - not many knew much about the Frenchman, but they certainly do now after he made quite an impression during his time in the heart of the Leipzig defence, leading to him being picked up by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The Reds' decision to trigger the £35million release clause of Konate was a stroke of genius, with the defender now in line to make his mark on the Liverpool and French backline for the next decade - all being well, of course. With just two caps to his name, the 23-year-old could now be set to star on the grandest stage of them all.
