Liverpool are reportedly unwilling to match the demands Ibrahima Konate is making in contract renewal talks.
The French defender (26) is out of contract at the end of the season and is still yet to reach an agreement with Liverpool over an extension to his terms.
It’s not a good time for Liverpool in the centre-back negotiation department after Manchester City signed Marc Guehi.
Liverpool are reportedly considering a £78m bid for Micky van de Ven but until that sort of thing materialises, it’s a waiting game.
Konate’s Liverpool contract demands “too high to agree to”
According to a report from TEAMtalk‘s Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are not willing to agree to Konate’s contract demands. The Frenchman is asking for more money than they are willing to pay.
Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate gives his shirt to a fan after the match
The report states: “Whilst Konate isn’t quite asking for the £300,000-a-week that skipper Virgil van Dijk was given last summer, as has been stated in some places, we are told that his demands are too high for Liverpool to agree to at this point.
“Liverpool, though, believe they have put a very good offer in front of the player, on par with some of Europe’s top central defenders. However, we can confirm that the 26-year-old has rebuffed those fresh advances to commit in the last month.”
Ibrahima Konate’s performance in 2025-26 has harmed his negotiating power in contract talks
When Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League title, they did so with a terrifyingly dominant Ibrahima Konate. Anfield would roar “IBOU” whenever he touched the ball. That’s how influential he was.
Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate celebrates with the trophy after winning the Premier League
This season, he has been chaotic, inconsistent and often even unreliable.
The Frenchman, unfortunately, has not been a £200,000 per week player this season.
It’s still important for Liverpool to keep him, but it is now an acceptable question to ponder whether or not his peak won’t be as high as it initially seemed to be. Konate is still only 26, but his technical game on the ball needs to improve, as does his decision-making.
The assertiveness he showed last season seems to be something of the past.