Liverpool have a contingency plan for Ibrahima Konate’s potential departure in Micky van de Ven.
We’re past the January window, and Konate hasn’t signed a new Liverpool contract.
Links to Real Madrid have reared their head every so often, but at the moment it’s up in the air.
FSG can’t wait for the Frenchman’s decision. They need a plan in place in case he does decide to leave in the summer.
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Marc Guehi pictured in action during Manchester City's Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA
Van de Ven is being eyed by Liverpool for that reason. Here’s how the two stack up in the Premier League this season.
Ibrahima Konate vs Micky van de Ven for Liverpool and Spurs
The two centre-backs are quite different in terms of profile.
The Liverpool man is a burly, physical destroyer who does his best work in the air and in one-on-one situations.
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Van de Ven is defensively sound too, with a similarly imposing frame, but he uses blistering pace to his advantage and is more of a threat progressing the ball forward.
Conveniently for us, Konate and Van de Ven have played almost the same amount of league minutes (2061 vs 2060), so we can compare their numbers straight up.
Konate PL 2025-26 Van de Ven
1 Goals 4
154 Duels won 75
88 Aerial Duels won 29
37 Tackles 27
17 Interceptions 20
17 Blocks 14
7.15 FotMob rating 6.82
Despite the criticism Konate has received regarding his form this season, he actually bests the Dutchman in most categories.
The two teams have conceded an equal amount of goals.
Keeping Ibrahima Konate is preferable
Stats aren’t everything, and Konate and Van de Ven aren’t far apart in terms of quality.
The versatility Van de Ven offers at left-back is a plus for him, but Konate is a Premier League winner for one. For another thing, Liverpool need a right-sided centre-back more than one who can play on the left — in a starting capacity anyway.
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Ibrahima Konate celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Newcastle in the Premier League at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC
It’s hard to picture Virgil van Dijk on the right side of the pairing to accommodate his fellow countryman.
The final reason is that Konate is already a Liverpool player, and renewing his deal would be better from a financial perspective, with Spurs likely to command a huge fee in the event of a sale.
Van de Ven is no slouch, and his arrival at Anfield would be a welcome one.
That being said, doing everything to keep Konate at the club is a better choice for me.
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