Ibrahima Konate has entered the final three months of his contract with Liverpool and there is currently no prospect of a renewal. The defender was a mainstay in the Reds’ starting XI under manager Arne Slott, but as things stand, the reigning Premier League champions will lose him at the end of the season.
Konate, who joined the club in 2021, has been in talks with Liverpool executives, but no progress has been made. The parties have until June 30 to reach an agreement or Konate will leave the club as a free agent.
The upcoming World Cup also complicates things a bit, given that Konate will almost certainly travel to North America to play with the French national team, barring an injury. As a result, the clock is ticking for Konate and Liverpool to reach an agreement.
The Athletic reports that Konate has asked for an increase to his current £150,000-a-week contract, with the centre-back keen to become one of the club’s highest-paid players. This currently includes Mohamed Salah’s £400,000-a-week deal, but with the Egyptian set to leave at the end of the season, his departure could free up some of the funds to sign Konate.
Florian Wirtz is said to be earning around £250,000 a week, which is close to the benchmark Konate is looking for. Liverpool’s position was strengthened earlier this season when Real Madrid were reported to have withdrawn their interest, having previously been keen on a free transfer.
Liverpool have consistently maintained their position as they want to keep Konate, but only on their own terms. The report claims that despite the deadline approaching, Liverpool insiders still expect Konate to remain at the club next season.
Slott was asked about the 26-year-old’s future, and the Dutchman reiterated the club’s position: “We’re in negotiations with him, so that’s what we want. Obviously we want him to stay, but the negotiations are ongoing, so let’s see how they settle. If we didn’t want him to stay, we wouldn’t be negotiating.”
