Liverpool could face a battle to keep hold of one player over the next few months, according to one of the most respected journalists covering the club.
As per Transfermarkt, the Reds currently have six first-teamers whose contracts will expire in June 2026, one of whom is Ibrahima Konate.
Speculation has already been rife over the Frenchman’s future, with Empire of the Kop reporting last month of interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, CaughtOffside claimed that there has been ‘no current indication of a positive breakthrough’ in negotiations over a new deal for the 26-year-old.
Liverpool could face a battle to keep Konate
In his latest Liverpool Confidential Q&A for Mail Sport, Lewis Steele was asked if the centre-back is letting his contract run down in order to leave on a free transfer next summer.
The journalist replied: ‘Not necessarily but it is fair to say Konate’s future hangs in the balance at the time of writing. It was November when Richard Hughes first opened talks with Konate’s representatives and, 10 months on, we are no closer to a resolution.
‘Confidential understands Liverpool remain in talks with Konate’s camp and want to wrap up a deal to ensure a position of strength for the future.
Real Madrid are showing a genuine interest in signing Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
‘There is nothing more to say than that; it is not signed yet and there has been no definite indication either way on the direction of travel, but it is a worry for Liverpool, especially after the long-running sagas over contracts last year.
‘With respect to Konate, he is not as high-profile as Salah or Van Dijk, but it would still be a huge blow to lose him for nothing. Real Madrid’s interest is real.’
Konate is still hugely important for Liverpool
That negotiations have been ongoing for nearly a year and there’s no sign of a resolution is indeed alarming for Liverpool, who could soon be faced with a major decision over Konate’s future.
Having been thwarted at the 11th hour in their deadline day pursuit of Marc Guehi, the Reds continue to be hugely reliant on the Frenchman, who joined from RB Leipzig four years ago for £36m (The Independent).
The 26-year-old faced criticism for some of his performances at the start of the season, and indeed he has looked worryingly shaky of late, but he atoned for that with an outstanding display in the hard-fought win over Arsenal last Sunday.
Liverpool fans were put through the wringer for much of the 2024/25 campaign as Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk were frighteningly close to running down their contracts before penning new deals in April, and Kopites wouldn’t welcome a repeat saga with Konate over the coming months.
Now that the transfer market is shut until January, hopefully sporting director Hughes can finally make a breakthrough in negotiations with the French defender before the end of the calendar year and eliminate any doubts as to his future.
