Liverpool must sell star this summer to avoid EMBARRASSING €100m loss

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to end his time at Anfield has left many in Liverpool with a bitter taste in their mouths.

The 26-year-old’s departure has been officially confirmed, and it feels like it is just a matter of time until his move to Real Madrid is made official too.

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Losing one of the best players in the league is never a nice feeling, let alone when it is for free, but if Liverpool aren’t careful they may find themselves in a strikingly similar situation in 12 months’ time.

Ibrahima Konate is about to enter the final year of his current deal and, with contract negotiations reportedly unfruitful, a departure is starting to look likely.

Liverpool need to sell Konate now

Interest in Konate from around Europe has been widely reported over the last few months. Real Madrid are keeping an eye on the Frenchman and Anfield Watch exclusively revealed PSG’s burning desire to bring the defender to Paris.

A sale of the 25-year-old this summer is feasible, and it is the right thing for Liverpool to do.

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According to MARCA, the Anfield hierarchy are beginning to worry at how similar Konate’s situation is to Alexander-Arnold’s, and fear is creeping in that the Frenchman may emulate his teammate in a year’s time.

“[Liverpool are] already familiar with how [Real Madrid] operates, and the suspicion leads them to believe that history may repeat itself, with one of their standout players leaving without them receiving anything in return.”

Los Blancos’ admiration for Konate is no secret and, with only 13 months until he is available for free, the Reds must either convince the Frenchman to extend his deal or sell him this summer.

Liverpool cannot let Konate follow in Trent’s footsteps

Football Transfers estimate Alexander-Arnold’s market value to be €55.8 million, taking into account the defender has next to no time remaining on his current deal.

Konate’s transfer value is estimated at €57.2m meaning that, if both stars did leave for free, Liverpool would have missed out on over €100 million in potential transfer fees in 12 months.

This is a worst-case scenario, but it is a real possibility, and it would be an unmitigated disaster for the club to let two of their biggest stars go in consecutive years without receiving a single penny in return.

In an ideal world Konate would commit his future to Liverpool, but negotiations have been ongoing for some time and an agreement still hasn't been reached.

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If Liverpool can’t get the defender to commit, then a sale must be sanctioned this summer to save the embarrassment and raise some funds that can be reinvested in Konate’s replacement.