Liverpool open to offers for defender Ibrahima Konate

Liverpool are reportedly open to listening to offers for French defender Ibrahima Konate, following the centre-back’s reluctance to sign a contract extension with the reigning Premier League champions amid Real Madrid links.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Reds are prepared to listen to offers of around £40-50 million for the defender, who has been linked with a move away from the club for months.

The French international will be out of contract at the end of the season, and will want to avoid losing a player of his quality for free transfer, leaving Liverpool under pressure to sell him in the winter transfer window.

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Meanwhile, TEAMtalk report further confirmed that the defender is “open to options” and ready to listen if the right offer comes in.

Liverpool’s change in stance emanates from their inability to convince the former RB Leipzig defender to put pen to paper on a contract extension. His current contract at Anfield expires in the summer of 2026.

He is regarded as one of the best defenders in the Premier League by a mile and has been a key member of the Liverpool first team since he arrived from the German Bundesliga in 2021 for a fee in the region of £36 million.

He was central to Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s free-flowing squad that won the Premier League in his first season.

Known for his speed, agility, strength, and aerial ability, the 25-year-old would be a block to miss at the back of Liverpool’s already ageing and depleted backline, with captain Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson edging closer to the twilight of their career.

Losing a player of his quality will hit Liverpool hard, and it remains to be seen whether they can find a befitting replacement for him.

Liverpool is potentially bracing itself for the worst, to cash in on him in the coming weeks, should they fail to convince the centerback to sign a contract extension.

He is undoubtedly a quality player, and there is unlikely to be a shortage of clubs interested in him. Several Europeans have been linked with the player in recent weeks, including current La Liga leaders and 15-time Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Losing him on a free transfer would be a crushing blow and set a dangerous precedent. It remains to be seen where the French international will land.

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