Liverpool could be set to suffer more bad news when it comes to losing players on free transfers in their first-team, according to reports - with Reds star Ibrahima Konate thought to be 'ready' to depart Liverpool in the coming months, with his contract set to expire at the end of next season.
The report by Footmercato journalist Santi Aouna states that Konate is 'ready to leave' Arne Slot's side, having not extended his contract with the club - and with just a year left on his deal, that could throw huge spanners into the works at Anfield for the club's recruitment team given they've already spent close to £200million on Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Report: Ibrahima Konate 'Ready to Leave' Liverpool
The Frenchman has been a colossus for the Anfield outfit
Ibrahima Konate
Concerns are growing amongst Reds chiefs, and with the France defender looking for a new challenge, several clubs have already been notified by his representatives as to his intentions for the future.
Ibrahima Konate's Premier League statistics - Liverpool squad ranking
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Liverpool are thought to fear yet another Trent Alexander-Arnold scenario, with their homegrown Scouser having run his contract down to depart on a free transfer for Real Madrid this summer, much to the annoyance of fans and club officials - and with the La Liga giants being linked with Konate, that scenario is all too plausible to occur once again. The club are aware that the situation is not in their favour, and initiated talks over an extension, but that hasn't come to fruition so far.
As a result, 'world-class' Konate is heading towards a departure in 2026 after what would be a five-year spell at Anfield. It's not only Real Madrid who are in the race for his signature, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also thought to be interested in his talents - though Real Madrid are the main interested party who Konate has a preference for.
Should they lose Konate next summer, Liverpool would still have Virgil van Dijk for a season after his two-year contract extension earlier this year - though only Joe Gomez would stand alongside him, with Jarell Quansah all but set to join Bayer Leverkusen in the coming days. The club are clad with full-backs, but centre-back could become a real issue if Konate decides that he is leaving the Premier League champions.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 27-06-25.
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate Related
Real Madrid working on signing Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate for free next summer
According to Spanish reports, Ibrahima Konate could be next to swap Liverpool for Real Madrid at the end of his contract. The French international has one year remaining on his deal at Anfield and could be free to play elsewhere in the 2026/27 season. The newly-crowned Premier League champions couldn't keep hold of Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer as he completed a move to Madrid and now Konate could follow in his footsteps in 2026. Spanish outlet MARCA report that Konate is a target for Los Blancos as they bid to capitalise on his contract expiration. They also say that Konate has rejected a renewal offer from Liverpool. Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2021 and has featured 132 times for them in all competitions since. The 26-year-old is a Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield and two-time Carabao Cup winner with the Reds.
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