Centre-back makes decision over Liverpool contract offer

Liverpool have got several issues to solve at centre-back. The issues began back in the summer transfer window.

Owing to a failure to land Marc Guehi on deadline day, the Reds looked a player light in the position heading into the rest of the season.

Earlier in the window they’d sold Jarell Quansah - replacing him with untested youngster Giovanni Leoni. Their problems were compounded when Leoni, 18, suffered a season-ending injury on debut.

Right now Arne Slot has only got three senior centre-back options at his disposal in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez. And there is trouble coming down the track over Konate - who is out of contract in 2026.

Konate says NO to Liverpool

Konate’s uncertain contract situation is one of the big reasons we’ve seen the Reds linked with so many centre-back options of late.

Nico Schlotterbeck, Ronald Araujo and Jan Paul van Hecke are just a selection of the names associated with a move if Konate ends his time with the Premier League champions.

And now that looks like an increasing likelihood according to a new report in Defensa Central.

According to the Madrid-based media outlet, the 26-year-old has informed Liverpool that he will not be renewing his contract and that he intends to sign for Real Madrid.

Konate wants Madrid deal

“The French defender has already confirmed to Liverpool that he will not renew his contract,” a report reads.

“His desire is to sign for Real Madrid, a club with which he has been in contact for months and with which he will negotiate a new contract starting in January.

“For now, the only movement from the club has been to confirm whether Konaté is willing to come. The financial terms of the transfer will be discussed in due course.

“The club will repeat the Alexander-Arnold deal with Konaté from last summer.”

Konate's contract demands revealed

France international Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig back in 2021 - for a fee of around £35m.

Last season he became a Premier League titleist alongside Van Dijk - with Liverpool hoping that Konate would go on to star for the club in the long term.

However it appears that Konate has now given the club a definitive ‘no’ in contract talks - with his previous demands reported to be £200k per week.

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