Ibrahima Konate’s Liverpool future has been a big talking point this season and now a fresh twist has emerged regarding the Frenchman.
The 26-year-old was much improved on Tuesday evening, helping the Reds pick up a vital 1-0 win away to Inter Milan in the Champions League, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s late penalty.
The errors on show for much of this season were eradicated by Konate, with Arne Slot singling him out for special praise after the game:
“I would like to highlight one player because he has been highlighted in a negative way, and that is Konate. I don’t think him and Virgil made a mistake at all.”
Konate’s Liverpool contract runs out next summer, but according to a new update from Football Insider, he could now sign a contract extension “in the coming weeks”.
While the Reds were reportedly happy to see the France international leave in the past, they “may have to backtrack on those intentions” now, in an intriguing twist.
Liverpool face a huge decision with Konate
One good performance from Konate shouldn’t mask how poor he has been this season, and for him to earn a new contract, he now has to play at his Inter Milan level for a long period.
The Liverpool centre-back is a formidable player on his day, though, and is still only 26, so there is plenty of sense him handing him a fresh contract, with Micah Richards lauding him in the past:
“He’s got all the tools to be a top class centre half. It’s always been Van Dijk and another, Quansah started the season and Arne Slot brought Konate on at half-time. His positioning has got a lot better, you see the size of him, the frame of him. In the air he’s really good.”
Ultimately, a fully fit and focused Konate is a major asset for Liverpool, so a new contract makes more sense than selling him, but it is understandable why some supporters remain unconvinced.
The coming weeks and months feel pivotal for him, and regardless of him staying or not, at least one new central defender is needed at Anfield at the end of the season.