Exclusive: Manager 'broken-hearted' as Liverpool take a major step towards sealing £54.2million transfer

Anfield Central understands that with Ibrahima Konate closing in on a move to Liverpool worth a total of £48.3million, RB Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch is 'broken-hearted'.

When the American was announced as the new manager of RB Leipzig at the end of April, we reported that he had arranged talks with Konate in an 11th-hour attempt to convince the French defender to remain at the club.

Following a phone call with the soon-to-be Red, however, it became clear that there was nothing to be done as far as getting him to remain with the Bundesliga was concerned and the green light over a move to Merseyside was given.

Now, with Liverpool set to complete a deal worth a total of £54.2million, sources have told Anfield Central that Marsch is 'broken-hearted' at the prospect of missing out on working with Konate.

With his £70,000/week wages factored in, the deal to sign Konate will cost around £48.3m over the course of his five-year contract on Merseyside - not including performance-related bonuses and silverware-related clauses.

When Liverpool first began edging towards a deal becoming likely, we were told that RBL were reluctant to let Konate leave, considering him to be the future best centre-back in the world.

Of course, his contract having a release clause in it put the Bundesliga side in a tough spot.

Now, we're told that Marsch is broken up about missing out on coaching Konate and Dayot Upamecano who is set to become a Bayern Munich star on July 1st.

Konate's 76.32% aerial duel success rate (per 90) is much better than Upamecano's (61.98%) while his ground duel success rate is only marginally worse than his RB Leipzig partner.

Liverpool were interested in the soon-to-be Bayern star before the Bundesliga giants snapped him up.