Liverpool fear ‘major setback’ as £36m star draws genuine transfer interest
Liverpool may be set for a fight to keep hold of Ibrahima Konate in the coming months, according to one of the club’s most reliable reporters.
Transfermarkt shows that six members of the Reds’ current squad are out of contract in June 2026, with the French defender among them. His long-term future has already been the subject of speculation, with Empire of the Kop recently linking him to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. CaughtOffside also reported that there’s been “no indication of a positive breakthrough” in contract talks with the 26-year-old.
Writing in his Liverpool Confidential Q&A for Mail Sport, Lewis Steele was asked whether Konate is deliberately running down his contract to leave for free. He replied: “Not necessarily, but his future is very much up in the air right now. Richard Hughes first opened talks with his representatives last November and, 10 months later, no resolution is in sight. Liverpool remain in discussions and want to secure him for the long term, but nothing is signed and no clear direction has emerged yet. That alone is worrying for the club, particularly given last year’s drawn-out contract sagas. Losing him for nothing would be a huge setback, and Madrid’s interest is genuine.”
The situation is especially concerning as Liverpool still rely heavily on Konate, who joined from RB Leipzig in 2021 for £36m. The club failed in a late bid to sign Marc Guehi on deadline day, leaving the Frenchman as a crucial figure at the back. Although his form has been inconsistent this season, he was excellent in the recent win over Arsenal.
Supporters have already endured nerve-racking contract standoffs with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk before both finally committed earlier this year, and they’ll be desperate to avoid a repeat scenario with Konate. With the transfer window now closed until January, Hughes will be under pressure to make a breakthrough before the year ends and bring clarity over the defender’s future.
