Liverpool have been in talks with Ibrahima Konate for months ahead of his contract expiring on June 30, but were unable to agree a new deal.
Ibrahima Konate played his last game for Liverpool (Image: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
Ibrahima Konate is reportedly set to leave Liverpool after failing to agree a new contract. Konate, 27, is nearing the end of his current contract, which expires next month.
His agent had been in talks with Liverpool bosses over a contract extension for several months, but the defender will now leave as a free agent, as first reported by talkSPORT. Konate joined the Reds for £36m from German side RB Leipzig in May 2021 and spent five trophy-filled years at Anfield.
The Frenchman will leave the club this summer, along with fellow Liverpool stalwarts Mo Salah and Andy Robertson. Before the end of the season, Konate hinted he was close to signing a new contract and said he wanted to remain on Merseyside.
“There’s definitely a big chance to stay here next season,” he said in April. “This is what I always wanted.
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“We’re waiting to sort out the contract, but once everything is sorted out, we’ll have to ask (sporting director) Richard Hughes what I said to him in September or November. Then he’ll say something to shut everyone up.”
“Yes (it took a long time), but this is a negotiation. It was exactly the same with Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah last season. I think they signed their contracts in April. Maybe this is what the club wants.”
Real Madrid were heavily linked with signing Konate on a free transfer, but talk of a move fell silent after a poor start to the season. The France international continued to be a mainstay under manager Arne Slott, alongside his long-time centre-back partner Van Dijk.
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Ibrahima Konate won the Premier League with Liverpool (Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool have already secured a new centre-back for the 2026-27 season, signing Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in a £60m deal. The Reds will also call up Giovanni Leoni, who played just one game in his debut season due to injury.
However, with Van Dijk’s contract expiring in June 2027, Robertson’s departure and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure last summer, Liverpool’s backline is undergoing a major shake-up.
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