With Ibrahima Konate’s Liverpool future still very much up in the air, a fresh update has provided key information regarding the dressing room.
Konate is out of contract at Anfield at the end of this season, but there has been no great progress regarding an extension, as he weighs up his options this summer.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has certainly made his feelings clear about his teammate, calling him a “world-class” and hoping he stays put:
“Obviously I want him to stay. He’s an important figure on the pitch. That’s what everyone sees but off the pitch as well, he’s one of the leaders. He’s outstanding and in my eyes, a world-class centre back.”
Now, The Athletic have dropped a fresh claim over Konate’s next step, admitting that the situation remains the same in terms of talks with Liverpool, but there is confidence among his colleagues that he won’t leave:
“Liverpool have not given up on convincing Konate to stay, but club sources insist that there has been no breakthrough in talks and an agreement does not feel imminent.
“Those close to Konate have echoed that feeling when contacted by The Athletic. But The Athletic has also been told by multiple sources with links to the dressing room that Konate staying at Anfield is currently viewed as more likely than him leaving. And so the uncertainty drags on.”
Has Ibrahima Konate merited a new Liverpool deal?
Konate has had a below-par season, throwing in too many unconvincing performances, even though his overall form has improved since the turn of the year.
At 26, the Frenchman has now reached a key point in his career, needing to reach the world-class level that Van Dijk has discussed and becoming the main man in Liverpool’s defence.
Konate has been a strong signing for the Reds since arriving from RB Leipzig in 2021, and in fairness to him, one bad season doesn’t change that.
A contract extension is, therefore, the preferred outcome for Liverpool, but at the same time, Konate himself must become a more consistent presence who can thrive after Van Dijk’s legendary career eventually reaches its conclusion.
