Stan Collymore has urged Liverpool to take a look at Aston Villa central defender Ezri Konsa as the Premier League champions press ahead for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, with the former Anfield striker not happy with one aspect of Florian Wirtz’s signing.
Despite winning the Premier League title with relative ease last season, Liverpool have been hugely active in the summer transfer window. The Reds have signed Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman already, with Giorgi Mamardashvili also set to team up with Arne Slot’s squad.
Liverpool are not done yet, with the Reds also in the market for a striker and a centre-back.
Palace star Guehi is Liverpool’s top defender target, with The Mirror reporting on June 28 that the Reds are ‘now in prime position’, adding that ‘talks between all parties will take place in the next 24 hours’.
While Guehi is out of contract at Palace at the end of next season, Liverpool’s pressing need comes in the wake of Ibrahima Konate deciding that he will leave in the summer of 2026.
The French centre-back has one more year left on his current contract at Liverpool, and he has decided that he wants to pursue a new adventure, with Real Madrid his preferred club.
Amid Liverpool’s interest in Guehi, former Anfield striker Collymore has urged the club to take a look at Konsa.
The 27-year-old central defender has been on the books of Villa since 2019 and is under contract at the Premier League club until the summer of 2028.
Described as “an incredible player” and “one of the best Premier League centre-backs” by his Villa team-mate Matty Cash in September 2023 in The Athletic, Konsa has made 238 appearances for the Villans so far in his career, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists in the process.
Collymore wrote in CaughtOffSide: “Ibrahim Konate is not what Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah are to Liverpool in terms of importance. 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.
“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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Liverpool slammed over Florian Wirtz coverage
While Liverpool have been universally praised for the signing of Wirtz, former Reds striker Collymore was not overly impressed with how the Premier League champions went over the top with their coverage of the transfer deal.
Collymore wrote in CaughtOffSide: “I counted 37 tweets on Liverpool in relation to Florian Wirtz on the day that he signed.
“And upon seeing that, I asked myself whether they had ever done that for Mohamed Salah, Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot? I don’t think they have.
“Liverpool’s best weapon is that they get on with business. They aren’t flashy like Man United or Real Madrid, but they are effective at winning trophies.
“I thought they would be slightly reserved with the Wirtz announcement, but their social media and marketing department have essentially put him under even more pressure to perform.
“I can speak about this more than most considering I also held the British transfer record at one time.
“And this is why I think that it could also cause in-house tensions at Liverpool, with some teammates being envious of the attention that Wirtz has received from the club upon signing. And Wirtz himself probably didn’t want this to happen.
“I just really don’t want Liverpool to stick Wirth’s head above the parapet for him only to have a disappointing season next season.
“Because he could do, it could happen. There’s no guarantees in life.
“Look, he might end up being the best player in the world this time next year. And it was like he’s lived up to the hype. But Liverpool’s always been about sort of the team is greater than the individual.”
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