Liverpool have accepted that Ibrahima Konate will leave for La Liga giants Real Madrid at the end of the season, according to reports.
The Reds significantly improved their title-winning squad in the summer transfer market with eight new players joining Arne Slot’s side.
Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni headlined the new arrivals at Anfield over the summer.
Liverpool were also very close to sealing the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace with the England international undergoing a medical when the Eagles pulled out of a deal.
Guehi would have competed with Konate and Virgil van Dijk for a starting place in Slot’s side but Liverpool will now have to wait until January or the summer to tie up that deal.
And Liverpool could lose a player in the same position with Konate now in the final year of his contract at Anfield and free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January.
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Real Madrid have been heavily linked with the France international for months, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano providing the information he has on the situation earlier this week.
Romano said: “Real Madrid have a genuine interest in the situation of Ibrahima Konate, but they don’t want to upset Liverpool.
“Liverpool will have the chance, for sure, in September, October, November, December – until the end of the season – to try and extend the contract of Ibrahima Konate.
“Despite agreements between Liverpool and the player being very close one year ago, these conversations stopped because of new details being discussed.
“Real Madrid internally keep thinking of Konate.”
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And now Spanish website Fichajes claim that Konate has ‘told’ Liverpool that he ‘will not renew his contract’ at the club after rejecting multiple renewal offers.
The Frenchman ‘has made the firm decision not to extend his contract with the Reds’ and his ‘refusal’ has ‘forced the English club to accept his departure’.
His decision has caused ‘disappointment’ at Liverpool after losing Trent Alexander-Arnold in a similar manner in the summer and the report adds: ‘The 26-year-old defender is looking for a career breakthrough. Ibrahima Konaté has already agreed to a move to Real Madrid , who will sign him as a free agent next summer.
‘Florentino Pérez is once again executing a strategic move. Signing Ibrahima Konaté at no transfer fee represents a world-class signing without disrupting the club’s finances.’
Former Manchester City and England defender Stuart Pearce reckons Liverpool could be getting a “better player” than Konate if they manage to pull off the signing of Guehi.
Pearce told Best Betting Sites recently: “Personally, yes, if I had the choice between both of them, Guehi’s the better player.
“Konate was outstanding last year. But Marc Guehi is the first-choice England central defender in my eyes. I think he reads danger really well. I think you can leave him in one-on-one situations, which helps the bigger clubs who play a bit more expansive football.
“We saw with Liverpool at the weekend when they attacked, both full-backs vacated their areas leaving the two center halves to deal with the danger. Now you’ve got to make sure that you are capable of dealing with one-on-one situations. I think Mark Guehi is one of those that can do exactly that.
“I think he’s a great commodity and if I was Newcastle, if I was Liverpool, if I was Manchester United, I would go and recruit him.”
