Liverpool are still hopeful of renewing Ibrahima Konate’s contract despite it seemingly likely that the Frenchman follows Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid.
Marca reports that Real Madrid’s interest in Konate is an “open secret” and after Liverpool’s move to sign Marc Guehi fell through on Deadline Day, Arne Slot’s centre-back headache continues.
After a summer in which Liverpool signed Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike among others, it’s by no means doom and gloom at Anfield but it’s a worrying situation.
Jarell Quansah left the club in July to sign for Bayer Leverkusen but remains unreplaced and if Konate leaves at the end of the summer, Liverpool will need two new central defenders.
“There are still conversations ongoing” between Liverpool and Ibrahima Konate over contract extension
Despite the obvious courting of Konate by Madrid, Liverpool are still working to renew his terms to hold onto him.
Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel: “So Liverpool, there are still conversations ongoing over the new contract between Konate and Liverpool, but [there is] no agreement at this stage.
“It’s not something easy. That story was really with many different moments. In October and November last year, it was quite close, the contract extension verbally was very close, just with some final clauses.
“Then it changed the game around December and January. New discussions on the contract and no agreement. We’ve spent the last six, eight, nine months with no agreement between the parties.
“What about Real Madrid? Konate, for sure, is on the list of Real Madrid. For sure, he is one of the players they like, and for sure he is one of the players that they would like to bring in in 2026.
“But this will only happen if Konate doesn’t extend his contract at Liverpool.”
With Konate out of contract at the end of the season, Liverpool owners FSG need to act to ensure that even if he moves to Real Madrid, there isn’t a repeat of the Alexander-Arnold saga in the sense that it overshadows the season.
With the arrival of Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike, Liverpool appear to be on the verge of a truly historic campaign, and it would be a shame if another protracted contract debacle dominates the headlines instead.
