EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool have verbal agreement with priority summer signing

Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards is doing everything he can to sign RB Leipzig's Ibrahima Konate and is looking to get the best possible deal for the Reds.

Edwards has worked wonders in the past and supporters trust him to do so again in the future. The sporting director has signed the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for £34million each and even signed Andy Robertson for a measly £8million.

With rivals signing the likes of Alvaro Morata for £70million, the work Liverpool and by extension, Michael Edwards, is not appreciated enough.

With Liverpool looking to rebound from a very disappointing Premier League season, getting their recruitment spot on this summer will be crucial to ensure they climb back above Manchester City next season.

That's where Liverpool's deal for Ibrahima Konate comes in.

We were told in mid-February that negotiations with RB Leipzig were underway already and that after missing out on a deal for Dayot Upamecano, the Reds resolved to sign Konate as swiftly as possible.

The two parties have a verbal agreement and are working hard on reaching an agreement with RB Leipzig ahead of a deal that is very likely to go through before the end of the season and if not, soon after.

There will no doubt be claims on social media that Michael Edwards deserves a statue if he can include a specific clause in the deal to sign Konate.

According to a source close to Anfield Central, he's looking to get RB Leipzig to agree to almost £8million worth of clauses that would only be triggered if the defender wins silverware in his first season with the club.

Konate has a €40million (roughly £34m) release clause in his contract with the Bundesliga outfit and while it's a simple matter to activate it and pay the amount, Liverpool don't want to commit to paying that yet.

From Leipzig's perspective, it's a risk even though Liverpool have been outstanding under Jurgen Klopp in the last few seasons. The chances of the Anfield side winning at least one trophy next season (even without Konate) are quite high with Virgil van Dijk set to come back from injury this summer.

Liverpool believe it's a fair way to bring the overall cost of the deal down while RB Leipzig could still receive the full amount they want for the defender.

We are told that even if Michael Edwards is unsuccessful in getting the clause agreed to, it won't jeopardise a deal for Konate.