Liverpool currently find themselves in an unusual situation.
The Merseyside club have made a mess of their contract situations at Anfield with deals for Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all expiring at the end of the current campaign.
This contracts problem Arne Slot faces at Liverpool also extends into 2026 and 2027, with deals for both Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate running out next summer.
This has prompted Real Madrid to show interest in Konate, while PSG are also keeping an eye on the Liverpool defender’s situation on Merseyside.
There have been rumours of a £50m release clause in the centre-back’s contract, which both European giants could look to active this summer, but those have now been cleared up ahead of the summer transfer window.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Rumours of release clause in Ibrahima Konate contract cleared up
Konate has been a key player for Slot this season as the 25-year-old is the Liverpool boss’ first-choice partner for Van Dijk at the heart of his defence.
The French star has featured 34 times for the Premier League leaders and it is no surprise that Real Madrid are among the clubs interested in the defender given some of his performances throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
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Amid the interest in Konate, there have been rumours that the French star has a £50.2m release clause in his current Liverpool contract but according to the Liverpool Echo, these are wide of the mark.
Anyone who wants to sign the centre-back would need to negotiate with the Merseyside club and having brought the 25-year-old to Anfield from RB Leipzig as part of a £36m deal in 2021, the Reds would look for a higher fee than what they paid the German outfit back then.
Liverpool will not want to let Konate go anytime soon and the Premier League leaders will be hopeful of agreeing a new deal with the defender soon.
Liverpool working towards a new Ibrahima Konate deal
Konate is loved by his Liverpool teammates and it is part of the reason why the Reds are looking to offer him a new contract.
The Premier League leaders and defender’s representatives have held talks over a new deal for the Frenchman last year but an agreement is not believed to be close.
According to the Liverpool Echo’s report, the Merseyside club remain eager to tie the centre-back down to a new long-term deal having entered the final 18 months of his current contract.
Liverpool are keen to avoid a repeat of the situation seen this season, where Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold have all entered the final year of their deals.
Should Van Dijk leave, Konate becomes the future of the current Liverpool team and with the Dutch star gone, there is even the possibility of the defender becoming the captain of the club, having already had that duty with the French national team.