Ibrahima Konaté’s contract lasts until 2026, and Liverpool have been working on his renewal.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who state the two parties have been discussing the 25-year-old’s renewal for months.
Liverpool were hoping to wrap up the defender’s renewal quickly after making an offer in December. The terms offered didn’t please his camp and no progress was made after talks in March.
There’s been another round of discussions recently and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will resume talks with his agent in a week or two. The Premier League winners aim to sort out the centre-back’s renewal before the end of this summer.
The France international is happy at Liverpool, where he has the ‘complete trust’ of Arne Slot and his teammates. He’s attentive of the club’s transfer business, to maintain their status of challengers for major honours.
L’Equipe state salary will be the main focus during discussions between his agent and the Merseyside club’s directors.
They say the Reds’ ‘salary standards are lower than those of other major European clubs’. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool, who made an exception for Mohamed Salah, will repeat it with Konaté.
The English champions are ‘confident’ of being able to finalise his renewal. Konaté’s camp, on the other hand, insist they are calm and that the ‘ball is in the club’s court’.
L’Equipe say the player is at a crucial moment of his career and isn’t ruling out anything as of now.