The clock is ticking at Anfield and Liverpool have officially drawn a line in the sand regarding Ibrahima Konate’s future.
Liverpool have made it clear to the 26-year-old Frenchman that they will not wait until the season concludes to discover whether he intends to commit his long‑term future to the club.
With Real Madrid and other European giants sniffing around, the Reds have launched a necessary countermeasure. They want total clarity by Easter.
Senior figures at the club are unwilling to let this situation drift into the final weeks of what has already been a testing campaign. The message is simple: decide now, or the club moves on.
The standoff continues
Despite months of discussions, talks have failed to progress as Liverpool had hoped. While Konate remains in dialogue with the Reds, a breakthrough has not been close for some time. Liverpool feel they have offered a more than fair deal, yet the defender’s camp is busy fielding significant interest from across the continent.
TEAMtalk can confirm that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint‑Germain have all made contact.They are positioning themselves for a potential free‑transfer battle that Liverpool are desperate to avoid.
It’s been a difficult year for the Frenchman. He recently lost his father, Hamady, and a dip in form led many to question if a summer departure was best for everyone. However, his performances have improved markedly in recent months. At his best, the 26-year-old remains one of Europe’s leading centre-backs, and this squad is undoubtedly better for having him in it alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk.
Slot’s defensive jigsaw
The signing of Jeremy Jacquet for £60 million from Rennes looked like another nail in Konate’s Liverpool career.Jacquet is clearly being readied for a big role at Anfield, and there would be less immediate room for that if his countryman stuck around.But the fact that Liverpool are still trying to tie Konate down suggests Arne Slot isn’t entirely happy with just Virgil van Dijk and Jacquet as his main options next term.
Prior to Sunday’s 2-1 defeat with Manchester City, Slot confirmed that the door isn’t closed yet.
“We are still in talks with Ibou,” Slot said. “Giovanni Leoni hopefully comes back from an injury after the summer. So, we’ve signed him [Jacquet] for the summer and we’re happy and glad we’ve signed him because I think we weren’t the only ones interested in such a talent.”
Slot, as ever, played his cards close to his chest when pushed for more.
“You never know, as we always say, contract talks are held in different rooms than these and when there’s news we share it with the world in rooms where you are!” he smiled. “But as long as that’s not the situation these conversations stay private.
These players [Konate and Andy Robertson] have done a lot for the club and will do a lot for the club in the upcoming half year and who knows longer than that, but these are talks that are taking place elsewhere.”
A delicate transition
Liverpool find themselves in a precarious position. Both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are entering the final 18 months of their contracts. Van Dijk turns 35 later this year, while Gomez’s injury concerns are becoming more pronounced as he nears 30.
Konate, a commanding presence when fit and focused, could play a key role in guiding youngsters like Leoni and Jacquet. But Liverpool won’t be held to ransom. Following a summer of lavish spending and a disappointing title defence, the Reds are determined to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Easter is the deadline. By then, we’ll know if Konate is part of the future or just another name on the departure list.