Liverpool star is holding off on signing a new contract with the club.
Liverpool have demonstrated a forward-thinking approach at centre-back as they prepare for the summer transfer window, having already secured two additions for the heart of their defence.
Last summer’s high-profile arrivals of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak drew attention, but the squad was arguably left short at centre-back, with Arne Slot’s side failing to complete a late move for Marc Guehi after a prolonged pursuit.
Highly rated youngster Giovanni Leoni arrived from Parma but suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut in September, ruling him out for the season. As a result, Liverpool have relied heavily on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with Joe Gomez providing cover.
Slot is set to welcome two new defensive options next season. Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet has agreed a £60million move, while Austria Wien prospect Ifeanyi Ndukwe will also join the club.
Konate is out of contract at the end of the season. The France international believes Liverpool are already laying the groundwork for future silverware as they rebuild the squad for long-term success at Anfield.
He told ESPN: “We can say many things because we were champions last season. People are going to talk about, okay, we bring in new players. Many things happened for us this season.
“But what people as well have to understand, and this is my point, like before we won the league last season, we just built a team to win the PL at one moment and this is part of the success. This is the way to success.”
“And now we bring in new players, of course they will not perform straight from the first game. This is what I’ve said to many, I said we just have to be relaxed because this is part of the success. We bring new players, we will adapt, we will try to understand each other and at a point, with time, we will win a trophy.”
According to Spanish outlet AS, Konate has yet to decide his future and intends to make a decision before the World Cup. The French defender has not renewed his contract with Liverpool, which expires in June, prompting interest from several European clubs, including Real Madrid, who have included him on their shortlist.
Konate’s representatives insist that nothing is finalised with Real Madrid, though the player is open to the move and willing to wait for an offer. He has declined recent contract extension talks with Liverpool, fueling speculation in England about his departure.
Despite this, Liverpool remain in discussions with his agents. Konate has featured in 41 matches across all competitions, underlining his importance to the team.
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