**The form of Ibrahima Konate is now a “serious, serious issue” for Liverpool, following the Reds’ 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City.**
The Premier League champions were dire at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, never getting going from minute one and being comprehensively outplayed by their rivals.
There were poor performances all over the pitch, including Alexis Mac Allister again being well off the pace and Mohamed Salah struggling up against Nico O’Reilly.
It was another bad day at the office for Konate, who was arguably the worst of Liverpool’s players, with the Frenchman at fault for the penalty that was conceded, and generally an erratic presence throughout.
Writing on [_X_](https://x.com/DougieCritchley/status/1987566330325729372?s=20), journalist Dougie Critchley described the 26-year-old as a “serious, serious issue” for the Reds, following a poor start to the season:
_“Ibrahima Konate’s form is now a serious, serious issue for Liverpool. Van Dijk is 34, Gomez isn’t trusted by Slot… Liverpool arguably need to sign 3 centre backs in the next 2 or 3 seasons!”_
**Is losing Konate next summer even a blow for Liverpool?**
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There has been so much talk about Konate’s future, amid rumours of a move to Real Madrid, but on current form, he wouldn’t feel like a loss to Liverpool.
The France international had improved in the wins over Aston Villa and Madrid, showing that he can be an influential presence, but far too often this season, he has been miles below the level expected of him.
As Critchley alludes to, Virgil van Dijk is now 34 years of age and can’t go on forever, with Joe Gomez’s future also up in the air and Giovanni Leoni a young player who is injured and still learning his trade.
At the moment, Liverpool fans could be forgiven for thinking that Konate’s head is elsewhere, given the standard of his performances, but Arne Slot desperately needs him to find more consistency between now and the end of the season.
If things don’t improve, he frankly isn’t doing enough to show that he is the future of the Reds’ defence, and a move to Madrid could be the best outcome for all parties.