Ibrahima Konate, Yan Diomande and Jude Bellingham celebrate Diomande's goal for Real Madrid against Racing Santander
Photo by Federico Titone/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Liverpool made some mistakes during the summer transfer window, with the lack of a new right-back, striker and right winger all contributing to a mixed beginning to the season.
As the summer progressed, fans were also disappointed with the club’s movements at centre-back. Though Jeremy Jacquet’s arrival prompted excitement, Ronald Araujo’s did not, and fans felt that Andoni Iraola could find himself short at the back.
Since then, Araujo has been a revelation, as has Jacquet, quieting the noise that Liverpool should have signed another centre-back, while also making the departure of Ibrahima Konate seem less significant. Fans decided that they were fine with seeing Konate leave and that Jacquet was an upgrade on his countryman, and though that may ultimately be a fair conclusion, Liverpool wanted to keep their former No. 5, and he is now showing why at Real Madrid.
Alisson and Virgil van Dijk have made costly mistakes in recent weeks. What should Liverpool do with the pair now that their contracts are set to run out in the summer?
Keep Allison but get rid of Van Dijk?Let both go
@noelloftman Comparing Diaz at 28 to Van Dijk at 35 is ridiculous for sure. Completely different scenarios. Diaz won't be anywhere near any top team's starting XI at 35
@auntylizard1 Vozinha? Come on Aunty! He's 40 and not good enough for League One
@kujabisamateh Yeah that's fair. I still think Van Dijk is good enough to be honest, but it might be time for a change as well. At least in Jacquet it looks like we have a player who can take on the mantle of being the main man in defence. I don't think Konate/Matip/Gomez ever looked capable of that
Ibrahima Konate is shining at Real Madrid
Part of the reason why fans were okay with Konate leaving is because he was largely poor during his final year with the club. The 27-year-old had a woeful first half of the 2025/26 campaign in particular, and there was a feeling that he was now somebody else’s problem.
Nevertheless, there were reports at the time that Liverpool had planned to keep Konate, and Araujo joining as a temporary fix on loan further solidifies that notion. The Reds had seemingly wanted to go into this season with Konate and Virgil van Dijk as their starting partnership, with Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni providing back-up and Joe Gomez there for safety and cover at full-back.
Fans may have decided that having Jacquet as a starter is now a better place to be in, but Konate is seriously challenging that assessment with his performances so far for Madrid.
The France international has become a certain starter under Jose Mourinho, and shone once again as Los Blancos beat Valencia 3-0 on Saturday evening. Mourinho has led Madrid to eight consecutive wins, and Konate has played 90 minutes in all but two of those matches, sitting out in the Champions League against RB Leipzig and AEK Athens.
The former Liverpool man has been earning rave reviews for his displays alongside Dean Huijsen, and any doubts that his final season at Anfield threw up look to have been extinguished once and for all.
READ MORE: Liverpool pushing to ensure ‘future superstar’ is at Anfield next season
Liverpool should have kept Konate
Ultimately, it seems as though Liverpool could not have done much more to keep Konate last summer. The £35m defender was offered fresh terms by the Reds, but, like Trent Alexander-Arnold one year before him, appears to have had his heart set on joining Real Madrid.
Nevertheless, the Reds should surely have made Konate’s contract a priority in the summer of 2023 or 2024. The former Leipzig man had his fitness issues, which possibly prevented Liverpool from committing to him, but they should have seen the progress he was making.
Konate always had the potential to be one of the best defenders in the world, and despite some mixed recollections of his time at Anfield, he did show that with Liverpool, excelling as Van Dijk’s partner during the 2024/25 Premier League-winning season.
The Reds needed to future-proof ahead of Van Dijk’s potential exit in 2027, and keeping Konate had always felt like a big part of that. There were regular question marks over his ability to lead a defence without Van Dijk helping him through matches, but his partner at Real is just 21 years old. Konate is the senior man in Mourinho’s back line.
Still only 27 himself, he could still improve further, making Liverpool’s decision to let him leave on a free look even worse. The Reds will be fine without him, but frustration with how Konate’s exit played out should rise with every passing performance with Real.