'Flawless' Liverpool star shows he is worthy of a new contract

Liverpool’s defensive rebuild has begun, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs to be replaced.

Speculation over the future of Ibrahima Konate is understandably rife, with the Frenchman into the final six months of his deal at Anfield.

Talks have been underway for some time to try and keep the defender with the Reds, but progress has been slow and several teams are interested in a free transfer this summer.

When Liverpool announced a £60 million deal that would bring Jeremy Jacquet to Merseyside in the summer, many supporters believed that Konate’s time at Anfield was finished, but the 26-year-old proved once again on Wednesday why he deserves a new deal.

Konate’s ‘flawless’ display against Sunderland

Arne Slot’s side picked up a massive three points in their hunt for a top four spot with a 1-0 win over Sunderland on Wednesday, and Konate impressed in the North East.

Brian Brobbey looked dangerous for the duration of the match, but Konate and Virgil van Dijk handled the threat well, and the Frenchman’s performance in particular stood out.

“He was flawless Konate, everything he did defensively”, Owen Harvgreaves told TNT Sports after the match.

The defender made two tackles, an interception, four clearances and blocked a shot against the Black Cats, whilst also completing 87.5% of his passes.

Hargreaves wasn’t the only one impressed by Liverpool’s defensive shift, with club legend Steven Gerrard also adding: “Liverpool’s centre-halves were immaculate.”

Van Dijk was also full of praise for his defensive parter, calling Konate’s performance ‘outstanding’ when speaking to TNT Sports at full-time.

Konate’s great performances are even more impressive when you consider the recent tragic passing of his father, and the Frenchman has shown great character to maintain his high standard of play throughout such a difficult time.

Richard Hughes will be assessing Liverpool options at centre-half ahead of the summer, and if Konate can continue to perform as he did against Sunderland then rewarding the 26-year-old with a new deal on fresh terms may prove to be smart business.

Konate’s wage demands may be high, but you’re going to struggle to find a defender of the same quality for cheaper, and he keeps proving he is more than capable of doing a job at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.

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