Liverpool have got a NEW Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold signed a four-year contract extension with Liverpool back in 2021 - taking him to summer 2025.
The homegrown right-back was very strategic in his decison-making - ensuring that he would be able to discuss terms with overseas teams about a free transfer at a peak age.
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And of course that is exactly what transpired. Shortly after the Premier League title win was confirmed, the England man announced he would be leaving at the end of his contract.
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Real Madrid ended up paying a fee of around £8.4m to secure Trent in time for the FIFA Club World Cup but it still felt like a slap in the face for Liverpool supporters.
Liverpool lose TAA
Here was the vice-captain, a fan and an academy graduate deciding to quit the club just as they were looking at their strongest in years.
And, worse still, he was leaving for a fraction of his true worth.
The most expensive right-backs of all time include Joao Cancelo and Achraf Hakimi - both moving for between £60m and £70m.
There is little doubt that Trent with his pedigree, his goal involvement record and his age, would have sold for more in an ideal market.
But Liverpool had to grin and bear it; splashing £29.5m on a replacement in Jeremie Frimpong, who will battle it out with Conor Bradley for starting duties.
Konate likes Real Madrid
If the club were hoping that this situation wouldn’t become a trend then they look like they are going to be disappointed.
Reports are growing ever more certain that Ibrahima Konate is acting the same way as Trent. His contract was signed in 2021 when he transferred from RB Leipzig for around £35m.
Reds fans have been waiting a long time to see the best of the 26-year-old Frenchman on a consistent basis and last season it was the first time he really became Virgil van Dijk’s undisputed partner.
With his contract running out in 2026, it now looks like Konate will follow Trent’s lead.
Although we have read reports that Konate was in talks with the club over a renewal, there has been no significant progress.
The player was said to be seeking around £200k per week for a new contract but with Madrid again sniffing around there are no guarantees he will sign it.
Konate available for free in 2026
Like Trent he will be aware that if his next club have to pay no transfer fee then he will have a better chance of pocketing a bigger signing-on fee.
Liverpool are effectively powerless from preventing this situation from unfolding. If Konate runs down his deal then there is little they can do to prevent it - other than offload him this summer.
But that of course has the knock-on effect of destabilising the Reds’ title-winning backline even further when two full-back changes have already taken place with Frimpong and Milos Kerkez arriving at the club.
What should Liverpool do with Konate?
Liverpool decided against negotiating a transfer for Trent back in January when Real Madrid came calling. The club clearly felt it was more valuable to have Trent in the line-up in order to secure the Premier League title and make a run in the Champions League.
They now have to weigh up whether to follow that template over Konate.
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One more season of Konate and then release him - waving goodbye to their £35m investment plus the wages spent - or else sell this summer and face fixing up THREE of the four starting defensive positions.
Each call has its pitfalls and sporting director Richard Hughes is facing a crucial conundrum.
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