Ibrahima Konate is heading into the final year of his contract at Liverpool
Premier League winners Liverpool are in the process of a major shake-up in their defence.
The champions were unable to tie Trent Alexander-Arnold down to a new deal at Anfield, with the England international instead opting for a new challenge with Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid.
They responded by replacing Trent with Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong just 12 months on from his title winning campaign in Germany and followed that signing up with a move for left-back Milos Kerkez, who has now been officially unveiled as a Liverpool player after his transfer from Bournemouth.
It means Liverpool will start next season with fresh options in both full-back areas, although Andrew Robertson and Connor Bradley will be keen to do everything they can to prove they can still be starters next term.
However, Liverpool’s defensive restructure is far from finished, and after tying Virgil van Dijk down to a new contract, the club face more uncertainty in that area with talks over an extension for Ibrahima Konate continuing to drag on. The Frenchman has just one year remaining on his deal at Anfield and has been linked with a host of top clubs, including Real Madrid, now managed by Xabi Alonso, and reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Stan Collymore issues brutal Ibrahima Konate verdict
Former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore insists that Ibrahima Konate is nowhere near as important to the club as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. He claims the Reds should consider cashing on Konate before his contract expires, if the Frenchman is unwilling to fit into the club’s existing wage structure.
Reports from Guardian Sport suggest the 26-year-old is disappointed by the salary structure in Liverpool’s latest contract offer, with his representatives believed to be pushing for a higher basic wage after the offer was heavily based on meeting certain performance targets.
Collymore, reacting to the news, told Caught Offside: “If they were to lose him, it would pinch a little bit. But that’s all it would do.
I think there are better defenders around the world that Liverpool could unearth and will unearth. And if Konate doesn’t want to sign and commit to what is a very healthy Liverpool wage structure, then let him go.”
Should Liverpool sign a central defender this summer?
Liverpool have already splashed out upwards of £150m on reinforcements but recent reports suggest they are far from finished with a centre back leading their list of priorities.
The Reds are expected to sell Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen this summer while Joe Gomez provides the only alternative to Ibrahima Konate if he were to depart.
Stan Collymore believes Liverpool should look to take advantage of Aston Villa’s PSR situation to sign a centre back this summer but adds that Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi could also be a sensible option in the heart of defence.
He added: “Would Guehi be a like-for-like replacement? No. But the beauty with Guehi is that he comes in and he is a versatile option across the defence.
“And he’s also very much a player that is a very good club man. He’s going to be a solid 7/10 and play plenty of games all through the season. But I am surprised that a team like Liverpool aren’t looking at Ezri Konsa in this situation, given Aston Villa’s PSR woes.”
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