Ibrahima Konate insists he has not had any contact with Liverpool and intends to see out his contract at RB Leipzig.
The France Under-21 international was heavily linked with a move to Anfield last month amid reports the Premier League side were ready to activate a €40 million (£35m/$48m) release clause in the defender's contract.
However, Konate says neither he nor his agent have spoken to the Merseyside club and that he still has ambitions to fulfil in Germany.
What did Konate say?
Speaking to Bild about his future, Konate said: "I have a contract until 2023. And contracts are there to be fulfilled."
On the link with Liverpool, he added: “There are often rumours in football and many believe them immediately.
“Neither I nor my agents got a call from Liverpool. I also have big goals with RB Leipzig. These are currently achieving the best possible finish in the Bundesliga, reaching the cup final and the U21 European Championship with France.”
Konate also dismissed suggestions he was a natural successor to team-mate Dayot Upamecano, who will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
“No, I don't want to be Dayot's successor. I'm me,” he said. “We both came to Leipzig in 2017 and played well together here. Unfortunately, our paths are now parting. I'll leave Dayot to the new job and continue doing my thing here.”
The bigger picture
Liverpool have been linked with a host of centre-backs since Virgil van Dijk’s season-ending injury against Everton in October, with Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Fabinho also enduring lengthy spells on the sidelines.
The January arrivals of Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies were seen as short-term fixes rather than long-term solutions. Whether Konate is the man to solve their defensive conundrum remains to be seen.
The 21-year-old is tied to the Bundesliga side until the summer of 2023, meaning there is no rush for the club to sell. The impending sale of Upamecano to Bayern also means there will be no financial pressure to cash-in on the player.
However, reports of a release clause in his deal mean Leipzig would be powerless to prevent him leaving should any club offer that figure.
The fact Leipzig are still in the hunt for the Bundesliga title and almost certain to secure Champions League football next season may be enough to persuade Konate to stick with the club for at least another season, even if a rival is prepared to meet his release clause this summer.
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