Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on September 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)placeholder image
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on September 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Ibrahima Konate is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season and has been linked with a free transfer to Real Madrid.
Arne Slot believes that Ibrahima Konate’s form has been exaggerated because Liverpool have lost their past two games.
The centre-back’s performances have come under scrutiny so far this season. Although the Reds top the Premier League table by two points, Konate has been somewhat inconsistent and part of a defence that has conceded seven goals in six top-flight games.
They lost 2-1 at Crystal Palace last weekend before suffering a 1-0 defeat by Galatasaray in the Champions League earlier this week.
Konate is out of contract with Liverpool at the end of the season and there are strong rumours that he could join Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer. Slot was asked about the France international’s performances ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Chelsea.
The Liverpool boss accepted that Konate has given the ball away cheaply in the past two games - but is not the only one to have done so. Slot said at his pre-match press conference: “He has been one of them, definitely not the only one because against Galatasaray, apart from the penalty, maybe they got three or four moments from us losing simple balls without any pressure, which happened to him once in the Crystal Palace game and Galatasaray.
“If you lose a game of football, there is so much focus on that moment and, all of a sudden, 90 minutes have been very poor and that’s not what I analyse game one more time and see what we did well and wrong. In the last two games, it has been obvious and clear we have made a few errors, not only him but others we are not used to and do things people that are not used to and lose a game of football then normally the other ones, the manager gets criticism.”
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