Liverpool have announced that Ibrahima Konate will officially part ways with the club upon the expiry of his contract.
The French defender’s contract expires on 30 June, which will allow him to leave the club for free. He joins Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson as Liverpool’s free transfer this summer, which has to be considered a failure.
Collectively, the trio should fetch the club around £100m, yet they are all leaving for free.
In a statement on the official LFC website, the club said: “Liverpool FC can confirm Ibrahima Konate is set to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
“The centre-back will depart Anfield at the end of June, bringing his five-year spell with the Reds to a conclusion. Signed from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021, Konate made a total of 183 appearances and scored seven goals.
“The France international will leave with a Premier League winner’s medal for his role in Liverpool’s 2024-25 title triumph, as well as successes in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup (twice) and FA Community Shield.
“Konate will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for the contribution he made and everyone at the club wishes him the best for the future.”
?? @LFC pic.twitter.com/5c4ZPtEMqF
— Ibrahima Konate (@IbrahimaKonate_) May 31, 2026
Liverpool are making a mistake just like they did with Luis Diaz
Last season, Liverpool were in a similar situation to the one they now find themselves in. Luis Diaz and his agent failed to reach an agreement with the Reds on new terms and was told he was free to search for a new club.
Diaz went on to win the DFB Pokal and Bundesliga double with Bayern Munich after a £65.5m move to the Allianz Arena. In his first season in Germany, the Colombian scored 26 goals and assisted 23.
Although Liverpool nearly doubled the £37.5m they paid to sign Diaz from Porto in January 2022, they lost a player who helped deliver the club’s 20th league title. That player then went on to help Bayern come close to a treble.
The Konate situation is just as bad. I can appreciate that the numbers for a Konate contract renewal didn’t make sense for Liverpool, so they’ve opted to walk away, but even allowing it to reach this stage counts as a failure in my book.
Despite his imminent exit, reports indicate Konate is not on Chelsea’s radar despite seriously considering signing him.