Ibrahima Konate has denied rumors of a new contract offer from Liverpool, suggesting a decision on his future is imminent. The France international’s current contract is due to expire at the end of this season. The defender revealed in January that he had received a new contract offer from the Reds, but an extension was far from finalised.
After lifting the Premier League trophy in May, he labeled social media chatter about contract negotiations as “completely fake” and revealed his agent had held fresh talks with the club the previous week. Six months on, the 26-year-old is still yet to sign a new contract. He has been linked with football giants such as Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain and will be eligible to sign pre-contracts with overseas clubs from January 1.
However, Konate remains optimistic that his future will be resolved soon, once again denying speculation surrounding contract talks with Liverpool.
“Recently I’ve seen a lot in the press that Liverpool have made a new offer for me,” he said. “I don’t know where that came from.
“My agent is continuing discussions with Liverpool. I hope that my decision will be taken and announced soon.”
Konate also expressed his delight for fellow Reds player Hugo Ekitike, who scored his first goal for France in the 4-0 win over Ukraine.
“Liverpool has a different intensity to the Bundesliga,” he added. “Everyone has experienced it. When he arrived, I challenged him. After training he was a little tired. At first I didn’t want to go to the gym, so I looked into his eyes for five seconds and said: ‘Do you want to play for the French national team?'”
“I left the room, and when I came back, he was in the gym. He works hard every day. He’s really stepped up in that regard. I think that’s what turned him around.”
Ekitike made a strong case for further inclusion in the squad in the final match against France.
“I was very happy for him (after the goal against Ukraine),” Konate continued. “Because he was heavily criticized before, especially during his time at PSG. There were difficult times, but he is on the right path.”
