Liverpool know what will happen as Ibrahima Konate turns down THIRD contract offer

Liverpool’s season threatens to be overshadowed by the Ibrahima Konate contract situation.

During the 2024/25 Premier League title-winning campaign, the Reds had to deal with constant scrutiny over the expiring deals of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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Sporting director Richard Hughes got renewals over the line for Van Dijk and Salah - to the tune of £400k per week apiece - but failed in the case of Trent.

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No matter what his hometown club offered, it always looked likely that the defender would swap Anfield for Real Madrid. And now the Konate scenario is threatening to play out in the same way.

Konate's departure 'a sure thing'

The 26-year-old’s declaration on international duty that France captain Kylian Mbappe was calling him “every two hours” about joining Madrid cannot have gone down well in the corridors of power.

So long as the Reds’ contract offer to Konate remains unsigned then uncertainty will continue to swirl over his future.

It’s been reported by Marca that the Frenchman has now turned down THREE renewal proposals - and that Liverpool are all but resigned of losing their title-winning defender.

“Liverpool once again put forward an approach attempt, but the defender rejected,” the report reads. “At Anfield, they consider his departure a sure thing.

“In fact, the English club has been strengthening its presence in that position in an attempt to minimize the departure of a player who was and continues to be essential to Slot's plans.”

Is Konate heading to Madrid?

Having signed for the club for £35m from RB Leipzig back in 2021, the end of his spell on Merseyside looks like it’s coming soon.

That will be a bitter blow to the club and head coach Arne Slot - who has seen Konate establish himself as Virgil van Dijk’s preferred partner.

But how will Liverpool react if indeed Konate is heading to Madrid?

Well one option is to sell him in January in order to earn some money back. That in turn would necessitate a replacement defender - namely Marc Guehi.

Konate out, Guehi in

Otherwise Liverpool will need to hold their nerve and believe that Guehi can be acquired on a free transfer next summer.

Having come so close to signing him from Crystal Palace on deadline day, it can be taken as a given that 25-year-old Guehi is the club’s preferred Konate successor.

Those plans may need to be reactivated as priority as the Spanish media grows in its confidence that Konate will be at the Bernabeu next season.

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