Liverpool will quietly HOPE star rejects offer

Liverpool are in a difficult situation right now. They'll quietly hope for rejection this summer in order to sort things.

Liverpool have dealt with difficult contract situations for over a year now. All of last season saw arguably the biggest three stars at the club in discussions.

READ MORE: Marc Guehi to Liverpool comes down to £25m

Two of them, namely Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah, eventually renewed their contracts. Trent Alexander-Arnold didn't, prompting Liverpool to move for Jeremie Frimpong this summer.

But while those situations are now sorted, there are new ones to fret over. Andy Robertson is one - he's now in the final year and can already see his replacement in the squad now that Milos Kerkez has joined.

The other is Ibrahima Konate and this is the more complex one. Konate is in his prime and Liverpool would like to lock him down long-term.

However, that's not straightforward. The Times reports that the Frenchman wants a 250 per cent increase on his salary if he's to renew with Liverpool.

That would put Konate on around £250k per week. Now, we don't think Liverpool are going to offer that but they will make offers to the defender.

Only, we think they'll quietly hope he rejects them.

READ MORE: Liverpool told what offer it will take to convince Alexander Isak to join

Liverpool ready to move on

Liverpool have essentially found their Konate replacement: Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace star is also out of contract in a year's time and suggestions are that he's keen on a move to Anfield.

In fact, he's received guarantees over playing time that are quite interesting. It's difficult to believe that Guehi would be up for joining this summer if he didn't have a guarantee of starting regularly.

Van Dijk certainly wouldn't be dropping out - but Konate would.

So that means one of two things: either Konate is thought to be leaving or Liverpool feel Guehi would be an immediate upgrade. If it's the latter, the club won't want their current defender to renew on high wages as they won't be able to guarantee him the minutes.

But there's another consideration here. Liverpool are up against it with their homegrown player quota. Jarell Quansah is the latest homegrown player to leave the club, after Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher.

Liverpool need to sign someone homegrown and Guehi is exactly that. Swapping him in for Konate essentially makes complete sense no matter how you look at it.

It falls apart a bit if Konate renews, though. Liverpool would then struggle to sign Guehi and would need to find homegrown talents elsewhere.

Koante is too good of a player for Liverpool not to offer him a new contract. But things are a lot simpler and workable if he decides to leave.

READ MORE: Liverpool have the NEXT Thiago

And that's why we think the Reds are hoping this all goes in that direction.