Chelsea have submitted a bid to sign Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate this summer after Levi Colwill’s serious injury, according to reports.

There have been rumours about Konate’s future for much of the summer with the France international entering the final year of his contract at Anfield.

Real Madrid have been linked with a potential transfer this summer, while there are rumours they could wait and sign Konate for free when his contract runs out, in similar fashion to the way they signed Trent Alexander-Arnold earlier this year.

Liverpool have been linked with the potential additions of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Parma’s Giovanni Leoni as they look to sign a new centre-back regardless of Konate’s future after Jarell Quansah left for Bayer Leverkusen.

And now Spanish website Defensa Central claim that Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea have ‘made a move to secure’ Konate this summer with an ‘offer’ of €50m (£43m).

With the ‘long-term absence’ of Colwill cited as the main reason for Chelsea making their move after the Blues centre-back suffered a serious knee injury.

READ: Mailbox: Was this ‘arse-kicking Liverpool needed’ to go and get Marc Guehi?

Chelsea entering the race for Konate is an ‘unexpected complication’ for Real Madrid with the Blues offering the ‘exact amount’ that Liverpool are ‘asking for’.

Liverpool ‘are not keen to strengthen a direct Premier League rival with one of their best players’ while Konate is ‘leaning towards’ a move to Real Madrid if the Spanish side can reach the Reds’ asking price.

The report adds: ‘Chelsea are still coming to terms with the rejection of the €50 million offer, but the urgency to sign a center-back is high: they could increase their offer.’

Journalist David Lynch heard last month that Konate had given his “priority” to renewing his contract at Anfield, rather than seeking a move away.

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Lynch said on the Sports Mole YouTube channel at the end of July: “Real Madrid are clearly interested aren’t they – there is no question about that! But speaking to people close to Konate, I still get the feeling that his priority is to renew with Liverpool and there are talks there, but it is kind of stuck at the moment.

“I don’t think it has reached the point of no return and the player has definitely decided he wants to go to Real Madrid, I don’t get that feeling at all.

“That’s not to say that it won’t end in that way because that possibility is 100 per cent on the table, but we are still in the moment where there is hope there will be a breakthrough.”

Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke admitted that losing Konate for free in the summer is a “real worry” for Liverpool but that he doesn’t expect a transfer to Real Madrid to happen this summer.

O’Rourke told Football Insider in July: “I don’t see a move happening this summer. It would have to be a very good offer from Real Madrid to convince Liverpool to sell Konate, even though they don’t want him to run down his contract.

“You’re probably looking at over at least £40million to sell him now. I’d imagine Konate will end up staying at Liverpool this summer.

“The club will hold further talks with him to try and convince him to sign a new contract.

“So the player is in the box seat here, he can stay at Liverpool and talk to interested clubs in January with his contract running down as well.

“It’s a real worry for Liverpool because they’ve seen Trent Alexander-Arnold leave the club and they don’t want to see Konate do the same.”