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Liverpool supporters could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu when it comes to contract negotiations.
After enduring months of uncertainty surrounding the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, both eventually signing extensions, Reds fans are now facing fresh concerns over Ibrahima Konaté’s ongoing contract standoff.
The French defender has reportedly rejected three separate contract offers from the club, with Real Madrid circling ominously as his deal enters its final year.
With talks having opened as far back as November 2024 and still no resolution ten months later, the situation has become an unwelcome distraction amid Liverpool’s struggles this season.
However, there is genuine cause for optimism regarding three of Liverpool’s most important midfield stars.
The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele reports that Liverpool are making progress in securing the long-term futures of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister, with all three players featuring prominently in the club’s contract plans.
Writing in his Liverpool Confidential Q&A, the Merseyside journalist reports:
“All are on the agenda,” he wrote.
“There is not much more to say other than talks are taking place over tying down some of the summer 2023 additions to long-term deals that represent their worth in the squad, with agents of all three keen for bigger contracts.”
“I asked Gravenberch about this last week when he was doing the pre-Real Madrid press conference and he side-stepped the question.”
“Liverpool need to resolve the contract situation around all three players as we know what Real Madrid and Co are like… they will be sniffing around before too long if the Reds are not careful.”
Szoboszlai has been nothing short of exceptional this season despite Liverpool’s poor run of form.
The Hungarian captain has started every single Premier League and Champions League match, clocking more minutes than any other Liverpool player.
And despite his deal only expiring in 2028, it seems the club want to be proactive in dissuading interest.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are perhaps even more urgent, as Real Madrid have been fluttering their eyelashes to the pair – with the agent of Gravenberch even previously claiming that he’d “love” for his client to play in the Spanish capital.
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