Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is ready to depart the membership on the finish of subsequent month after failing to comply with phrases on a brand new contract, in accordance with a number of experiences.
The centre-back mentioned in April that he was near an settlement with the membership over a brand new deal.
However the 27-year-old is now set to go to pastures new, leaving Liverpool with a major headache in an space of the workforce the place their power in depth is missing.
Konate to have loads of choices after Liverpool exit
Konate instructed reporters after Liverpool’s Merseyside derby win at Everton: “There are numerous issues individuals have mentioned however for a very long time we now have spoken with the membership and we’re near an settlement.
“I feel everybody wished for that for as quickly as potential however we’re in a great way.”
“For positive, there’s a huge probability that I’m right here subsequent season. That is what I’ve all the time wished.”
However that probability has now evaporated, with Konate ending a five-year affiliation with the membership he joined from RB Leipzig in 2021.
Konate has gained 4 main trophies with Liverpool, together with the Premier League title in 2025.
The France worldwide has made 183 appearances for the Reds, scoring seven targets, and is more likely to have loads of suitors to signal him on a free-agent deal.
Actual Madrid have been closely linked with a transfer for Konate in current occasions, whereas Paris Saint-Germain are additionally now reported to be within the race for his signature, together with Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Set to go to the World Cup with France, Konate’s future might not be finalised till after that match, with Les Bleus among the many favourites for the title.
Liverpool left brief at centre-back
Even with Konate and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk on the coronary heart of their backline, the Reds struggled defensively in 2025-26.
Solely seven groups conceded extra targets than the 53 Liverpool shipped this season, Arne Slot’s males struggling a major decline defensively after conceding 41 in 2024-25 en path to profitable the title.
Each Van Dijk and Konate have been responsible of inconsistency this season, although Liverpool’s chief points on the again involved the full-back positions, as Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez each struggled of their debut seasons on the membership.
Regardless of his usually uneven kind, the lack of Konate is a substantial setback for Liverpool.
Van Dijk will depart on the finish of subsequent season and, with Konate leaving, Liverpool’s solely different skilled centre-back is Joe Gomez.
Gomez is coming into the ultimate 12 months of his contract and has been linked with a transfer after taking part in sparingly this season.
Liverpool have two intriguing younger central defenders on their books within the type of Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet, who will hyperlink up with the membership this summer time after signing a pre-contract deal in February.
Leoni, 19, tore his ACL on debut final September after becoming a member of from Parma. A charge that might rise to £60m mirrored how extremely Liverpool consider Jacquet, however the actuality is that the Reds will now probably have to enter the switch market once more to signal a extra skilled centre-back who can guarantee they don’t have to depend on Leoni and Jacquet too closely.
Shedding Konate free of charge is a painful blow for Liverpool, and it leaves them with extra work to do as they bid to bounce again from a disappointing marketing campaign.
