EXCLUSIVE: Michael Edwards has completed priority negotiation he's been working on since February

Liverpool are set to sign Ibrahima Konate on a five-year deal after an agreement was reached with RB Leipzig and it's been a long time coming for the Reds.

Sources close to Anfield Central reported in February that Liverpool were working on getting a deal done before the end of the season and now Michael Edwards has just about got the job done.

Konate is a fantastic defender. He is already performing excellently at a top team, but the fact that he is only 21 means that there is heaps of improvement in him yet.

He’s tall, used to playing in a ball-playing system and with a high line. He’s got the strength and size we need as well as being used to have to defend as an individual.

He is also tactically flexible with the ability to play in a back three or a back four, so I think he suits us perfectly.

His main strengths are his ability to step forward and intercept passes before they reach strikers and he also has a Joel Matip-esque style of carrying the ball forward into midfield which is hugely difficult for midfielders to defend against if they’re caught flat-footed.

Liverpool are signing a top player and while his injuries are worth keeping an eye on, the coaching staff at RB Leipzig believe he'll one day be the best defender in the world - even ahead of Dayot Upamecano.