Liverpool went to great lengths to keep Ibrahima Konate, but for a second summer running they face losing a first-team defender in their prime years with their contract running down.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure at least raised £10m, with Real Madrid paying to get him out of the final month of his deal for the Club World Cup. Konate, meanwhile, will leave on July 1 for free after failing to agree on an extension.
It does not reflect well on a club that was not long ago heralded as the best run in England. Konate, 27, may have had a difficult season but he was a near ever-present for Liverpool, starting in all but two games across the Premier League and Champions League.
Liverpool’s already thin defensive unit is set to lose one of its key components. They are now left with a 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, whose future is far from certain this summer, and youngsters Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet, both recovering from serious injuries.
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Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson bid an emotional farewell to Liverpool after their final game at Anfield
It is an unwanted distraction for Liverpool in a summer when addressing the gaps in the forward line created by Mohamed Salah’s departure and Hugo Ekitke’s Achilles injury, which will keep him out for most of 2026, is considered a matter of urgency.
Liverpool’s under-fire head coach Arne Slot said towards the end of a disappointing Premier League title defence that disgruntled fans are underestimating the impact of a good transfer window in turning around the club’s fortunes. The task just got a bit harder.
Why Konate is set to leave Liverpool
Konate is set to become a free agent
Keeping hold of Konate, signed from RB Leipzig for £36m in the summer of 2021, was always Liverpool’s aim. He was viewed as an important part of the squad, particularly since largely overcoming his injury problems to improve his availability over the last two seasons.
Reflective of that Liverpool began contract negotiations with the France international’s representatives in November 2023, when he had just entered the final three years of his deal. As recently as April, Konate suggested he and the club were “close to an agreement”.
Sky Sports News understands Liverpool showed a willingness to offer Konate significantly improved terms. However, they failed to reach an agreement.
Liverpool, among the highest spenders on wages in world football, have shown with past extensions for Van Dijk and Salah that they are willing to fork out the cash to keep their star players. In this instance, it appears their valuation of Konate did not match his.
The club have a strict wage structure and, with a big summer of recruitment ahead, must be mindful of financial sustainability. Whoever the player is, if they do not fit into that structure, then a renewal, irrespective of Liverpool’s desire to keep a player, is unlikely.
How Liverpool plan to cope without him
In Leoni, a £26m recruit from Parma last summer, and Jacquet, a £60m signing from Rennes set to arrive in July, Liverpool believe they have signed the best young centre-backs in Italy and France. They certainly give Slot more options.
However, there are injury concerns around Leoni after he tore his ACL on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September. Although Jacquet’s issue is seemingly less problematic, he has been out since February with a shoulder problem.
Jeremy Jacquet
Reports suggest both players will be back for pre-season when along with Gomez they will be the three senior central defensive options available for Slot while Van Dijk is at the World Cup with the Netherlands.
The summer tour of the US will be Liverpool fans’ first chance to see their new signings in action. However, Leoni, 19, and Jacquet, 21 in July, do not offer a wealth of experience, and there may be a reluctance to rely on them too much so soon after lengthy spells out.
Meanwhile, Gomez is entering the final year of his contract at Liverpool and has been the subject of plenty of transfer speculation. The defender could have left on Deadline Day last summer, but it was decided he would stay as Marc Guehi’s move to Anfield fell through.
Liverpool ended up relying on Gomez quite frequently this season because of an injury crisis at right-back with Conor Bradley breaking his leg and Jeremie Frimpong’s hamstring issues proving to be a recurring issue on top of his unsuitability for the role.
Gomez continued to have persistent injury problems of his own, and even if Liverpool do hold onto him this summer, the past would suggest that he is not someone they can rely on to play too often.
Clearly, Jacquet, for the price he was signed and his relative age compared to Leoni, is set to be Van Dijk’s centre-back partner, but there is still a depth issue for Liverpool to resolve this summer in the heart of defence now that Konate is off.
Liverpool’s other pressing priority
An emotional Salah says farewell to Anfield
Liverpool could do without losing another regular first-team starter when their priority in the transfer window is addressing the gaps in the forward line. Salah’s exit and Ektike’s injury, which will keep him out for the foreseeable, leave Slot extremely short.
RB Leizpig’s Yan Diomande appears to be the top target for Liverpool’s right wing to replace Salah – but they face strong competition for his signature with Manchester City and Manchester United among the top clubs in Europe interested in the 19-year-old.
Diomande is valued at around £86m (€100m) by Leipzig, who want to discuss a new contract with the teenager, currently earning less than £35,000 per week before bonuses, although the German club are not ruling out a sale if the right offer arrives.
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As Manchester United and Liverpool eye a potential move for Yan Diomande, here’s a look at his goals and assists for RB Leipzig so far
Liverpool are taking a composite approach to replacing Salah as they do not see anyone out there as a like-for-like replacement, especially in terms of the numbers. Frimpong, signed as a right-back, has also shown he can play further up if needed.
Preparations for life after Salah began last summer with the arrivals of Ekitike and Alexander Isak, who, when both fit ensure Liverpool are well covered centrally as well as being able to play off the left. However, there are availability concerns around both players.
Ektike, of course, is out for a prolonged spell with one of the more complicated injuries a footballer can suffer, while Isak missed 31 games this past season for Liverpool, more than the total of 22 that he played. It is crucial his availability improves.
Seventeen-year-old Rio Ngumoha’s emergence boosts options on the left. Liverpool want to ensure they do not block the teenager’s pathway to the first team, but he is not ready to be relied upon as a regular starter. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo, the other option, had a disappointing season by his standards.
Finding versatile forwards who primarily play on the right, such as Diomande, will be crucial for Liverpool to address their current shortfall in attack. Now, the urgency to sign a defender will also increase. Liverpool have a lot to do.
