Liverpool to make FINAL offer to contract rebel

Liverpool's contract offers to players have elicited a mixed response lately.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was the crown jewel of the academy graduates, a homegrown right-back phenomenon who simply didn't think the club was at the pinnacle of the sport, despite the Reds winning the Premier League title by 10 points over Arsenal to tie Manchester United on 20 titles.

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Of course, the Reds are an elite club, but in the Englishman's mind, a move to Real Madrid was something he simply couldn't go without. He declined the club's approach and left on a 'free'.

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Meanwhile, the Reds' two other big leaders in Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk showed their dedication to the club by signing new deals, and committing to Liverpool until 2027 at least.

Now it's Konate's turn to face the music

Once Salah and Van Dijk had signed their new contracts, the fans were given a chance to breathe and forget about the complexities of player negotiations, simply focusing on celebrating the title win.

But it soon became apparent that this would be a make or break summer for Ibrahima Konate and while we initially received encouragement that he would re-sign with us, nothing has happened yet.

After the match against Tottenham that won Liverpool the Premier League, the Frenchman was pictured sitting in the stands at Anfield, pondering over how the celebrating fans must have felt.

It made him emotional and you felt as though the bond he had with us would convince him to stay.

A series of contract talks then unfolded once the season had formally drawn to a close, over six months since Liverpool first looked to negotiate with Konate to try and tie him down to a new deal.

But they were unsuccessful, as differing valuations caused a breakdown in talks and now it's August, just a few days before the new season begins and we're none the wiser as to what will happen.

Paris Saint Germain were said to have been interested, but their successful approach for IIlya Zabarnyi from Bournemouth suggests they may no longer be in the market for a defender.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are always on the hunt for a bargain and are even more interested when it comes to free transfers. MARCA, a Spanish website, has recently published a report on Konate's situation, claiming that it's still possible for the player to leave in finals weeks of the transfer window.

In their report, it said: "Liverpool's directors don't want a repeat of the Alexander-Arnold affair, and are putting pressure on Konate in every way possible to renew his contract, all so that he doesn't leave the English club, leaving nothing or very little in return, as was the case with the now Real Madrid player, who, without the Club World Cup, would have left nothing in the Premier League champions' coffers.

"As MARCA has learned, the English club plans to renew the Frenchman's contract in the coming days. If the player rejects the offer again, the situation would change radically, and the possibility of Konate being put on the market would become more than a reality. In fact, the Frenchman and Van Dijk are the only healthy centre-backs Slot currently has."

Of course, the reliability of this information is to be doubted, since Liverpool would be massively shooting themselves in the foot if they allowed Konate to leave this summer. If him extending his contract isn't on the cards for us, then letting him go in January might well be a considered option.

But until moves for linked players such as Marc Guehi and Giovanni Leoni are agreed, then nothing will happen with Konate regardless. He's been happy in and around the squad this summer and so there is reason to be optimistic with our chances of keeping him, but the can of works regarding his future is unlikely to be opened this summer. His importance to the side is greater than a transfer fee.

Nonetheless, keep an eye on this saga, because we'll eventually get an update, positive or negative, ignoring the issue isn't an option. Eventually he'll need to face the music, just as we will as a club.

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