Ibrahima Konate
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk have anchored Liverpool’s backline with a blend of aerial dominance, tactical intelligence, and physicality that has propelled the club to the Premier League summit.
Their 20 joint starts this season have yielded a league-leading 11 clean sheets, with Liverpool conceding just 0.9 goals per game when both feature—compared to 1.3 without them.
Konate’s 77.3% aerial duel success rate and Van Dijk’s 71.7% rank first and fifth among Premier League defenders, respectively, while their combined 68% duel success rate underscores their unrivaled defensive cohesion.
Of course, the last two games the pair played were not exactly the best advertisement for their abilities – with Van Dijk honestly admitting that it was a ‘bad week’ for the pair and the team as a whole.
Despite their on-field dominance, Konate’s future at Liverpool grows increasingly uncertain as contract talks stall.
The Frenchman’s current deal expires in June 2026, and negotiations initiated in October 2024 remain deadlocked over terms.
With Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid monitoring the situation, Liverpool risks losing a valuable asset for free if no extension is agreed.
Putting all that aside, speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the Merseyside derby, Konate revealed that he, the players, and the larger Liverpool community do not have to listen to the media surrounding the story of their season.
There have been insinuations in the media and the global football world at large that Liverpool has had a poor season due to the Carabao Cup final, the FA Cup defeat, and the Champions League exit.
And it’s starting to feel like Liverpool is the only club in England held to these lofty standards.
Dispelling this myth, Konate sent out a strong message to some of the club’s detractors:
“The Premier League is our target for the players, for the manager, for the staff, for the club, for the fans and we know we have 12 points more than Arsenal, but we don’t think it’s done.”
“We know we have to work a lot and do everything until the end of the season to achieve something special and we work on it everyday.”
“If you ask every player or every fan what they’ll pick: ’play for every trophy, but you don’t know what you will get at the end of the season or maybe a chance to win the Premier League?’
I think all of them will say,’ Yes, maybe a chance to win the Premier League. ’
“We don’t have to listen to what the media think or because we didn’t win the FA Cup, the Carabao or we are out of the Champions League that we had a bad season – no.”
“Nobody was expecting us to be where we are today, then we just have to do everything and give all.
“Everything, every game until the end of the season, game after game, and if we achieve something special, everyone will be very happy,” the Frenchman concluded.
“We don’t have to listen to the media” 🗣️
Konate says Liverpool’s season will be defined by lifting the Premier League trophy, not by disappointments in other competitions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/rtjUxiqEM4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
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