Ibrahima Konate’s contract with Liverpool expires at the end of June.
Image Credits: Imago Images
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a summer move for Ibrahima Konate, whose contract with Liverpool expires at the end of June. Talks over a new deal have been ongoing for some time but are yet to produce a breakthrough.
Madrid signed Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool a few weeks before his contract expired last summer, and the Bernabeu club are reportedly considering a similar move for another Reds star 12 months on.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot confirmed earlier that discussions with Konate are continuing, although there has been no indication that an agreement is close.
“We are in talks with him, so that tells you what we want,” Slot said. “It’s clear we would like him to stay, but negotiations are ongoing, so let’s see where that ends. We wouldn’t be in negotiations if we didn’t want him to stay.”
Liverpool are in the middle of a defensive overhaul amid uncertainty over the futures of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Konate. Van Dijk, who turns 35 in July, is under contract until next year, while Gomez’s deal runs until 2027 but he could still leave this summer.
The Reds have already moved to strengthen the position by signing young defenders Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet. Leoni joined last summer, while Jacquet agreed a move in January and will arrive on Merseyside this summer.
Both players have suffered injuries this season, with Leoni sustaining a serious knee injury on his Liverpool debut in September and Jacquet recently undergoing shoulder surgery after an injury in February.
Liverpool were also interested in Marc Guehi last summer but did not match Manchester City’s offer in January, allowing him to move to the Etihad Stadium instead.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has provided a fresh update on the contract situation of Konate at Liverpool. Ornstein said on the Athletic Podcast: “I think there’s constructive conversation around that one.
“I do think there’s a will on both sides, player and club, to try and find an agreement. It’s not there yet, but the conversations, from what we hear, are continuing and are pretty cordial.”
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