Liverpool are involved in contract dilemma regarding one of their most important players.
Defender Ibrahima Konate is set to become a free agent next year and Liverpool are trying to agree a new deal with the French defender who has been one of their best players under Arne Slot.
The French defender has formed a solid defensive partnership with captain Virgil Van Dijk at the club.
However, his long term future remains uncertain with the defender still not signing a new deal at Anfield. It could develop into a similar situation with what Trent Alexander-Arnold did recently.
He ran down his contract at the club and left as a free agent to join Real Madrid.
Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate has high wage demands
According to TBR Football, Konate is demanding ‘big money’ to sign a new deal with the Premier League champions.
The French defender earns less than players like Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas and Federico Chiesa, despite outperforming them on minutes played.
Journalist Graeme Bailey warns that Liverpool have just a narrow window: “if a deal isn’t agreed in the next month, there’s a real prospect of him being sold”.
Liverpool face a difficult situation regarding Konate and they may have to enter the market for a new central defender if his situation is not resolved soon.
As per Bailey, Liverpool could look for new options in the market and he has named the likes of Nathan Zeze of Nantes, Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, Illia Zabarnyi of Bournemouth and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite as the players the Reds could target.
Arne Slot may need a new defender soon
Jarrad Branthwaite in action for Everton
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Among the above mentioned named, Branthwaite is going to catch the eye of the fans since he plays for their city rivals Everton.
Branthwaite has quickly established himself as one of England’s most accomplished young central defenders following strong showings at Everton and on loan at PSV.
His consistent form and left-footed presence have attracted attention from the Premier League’s top clubs
Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio is another player on the radar of the Premier League champions.
The coming weeks will be decisive. Liverpool must weigh whether to meet Konaté’s demands and retain a key defender or cash in now rather than risk losing him for free next summer.
Leave a Reply