Liverpool rocked by rival contract offer for defender

Liverpool are facing considerable uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate. The defender is out of contract in less than 12 months and so far no agreement has been reached over a new deal.

If Konate and sporting director Richard Hughes cannot come to a conclusion over new terms then it is highly likely he will depart as a free agent in 2026.

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Real Madrid have been the team most closely linked with the 26-year-old - who joined the Reds from RB Leipzig in 2021. Konate’s situation is one reason why Liverpool have been linked with centre-backs this summer.

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Having sold Jarell Quansah - and with Joe Gomez injury prone - it appears that Virgil van Dijk is the ONLY central defender the club can count on with any degree of certainty up to 2027.

Nathan Zeze on Liverpool radar

And there are established links with Marc Guehi - who is out of contract with Crystal Palace in 2026 - while reports are also suggesting Ronald Araujo could be a target.

Younger options have also been discussed in the shape of Giovanni Leoni, Joel Ordonez and Nathan Zeze.

Zeze, 20, is a product of the Nantes academy who has reportedly been on the radar of the Reds for a few months now. However they will NOT be signing the France under-21 international having been blown out of the water by a contract offer from Saudi Arabia.

NEOM SC sign Zeze

NEOM SC - a newly-promoted Saudi Pro League team - have completed the signing of Zeze for around €25m - a sum that Liverpool could have easily afforded.

But TBR Football is reporting that the Reds - and Bournemouth - opted against making a rival bid for Zeze owing to the riches laid in front of him by the Saudis.

“Liverpool have pulled out of a move for an “incredible” replacement for Jarell Quansah due to a “huge offer” from the Saudi Pro League,” the report reads.

“Nantes have agreed an overall deal worth €25million (£21.5million) – which in theory the European clubs would have matched.

“However, the terms on offer in Saudi have pushed him beyond what they were willing to do.”

Liverpool are in the process of tying up a deal for Alexander Isak - likely to be another British record transfer.

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Once that transfer gets over the line - for a sum north of £130m - then Richard Hughes has got to get the club’s centre-back chase back on track.

It won’t be Zeze, but there are a lot of potential options out there who could come in and star for the Anfield club.

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