Liverpool went to great lengths to keep Ibrahima Konate, but for the second summer in a row they face losing a first-team defender in their prime when his contract expires.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure raised at least £10million, with Real Madrid paying to get him out of the final month of his Club World Cup deal. Konate, meanwhile, will leave on July 1 for free after failing to agree an extension.
It does not reflect well on a club that was not long ago touted as the best run in England. Konate, 27, may have had a difficult season but he was almost always present for Liverpool, starting all but two games in 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, who have both recovered from serious injuries.
It is an unwelcome distraction for Liverpool in a summer when addressing the holes 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 seen as a matter of urgency.
Liverpool’s under-fire manager Arne Slot said towards the end of a disappointing Premier League title defense that disgruntled fans underestimate the impact of a good transfer window to turn around the club’s fortunes. The task just got a little more difficult.
Why Konate is set to leave Liverpool
Konate is set to become a free agent
Keeping Konate, signed from RB Leipzig for £36m in the summer of 2021, was always Liverpool’s aim. He was seen as an important part of the squad, especially as he largely overcame his injury problems to improve his availability over the past two seasons.
As a result, 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 a deal”.
Sky Sports news understand that Liverpool showed a willingness to offer Konate significantly improved terms. However, it was not possible to reach an agreement.
Liverpool, who are among the biggest spenders in world football, have shown with previous extensions for Van Dijk and Salah that they are willing to shell out to keep their star players. In this case, it seems their valuation of Konate didn’t match his.
The club has a tight salary structure and, with a big recruitment summer ahead, must pay attention to financial sustainability. Whoever the player is, if they don’t fit into that structure, then a renewal, regardless of Liverpool’s desire to keep a player, is unlikely.
How Liverpool plan to cope without him
In Leoni, a £26m signing from Parma last summer, and Jacquet, a £60m signing from Rennes due 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 surrounding Leoni after he tore his ACL on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September. Although Jacquet’s problem appears to be minor, 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 for Slot while Van Dijk is at the World Cup with Holland.
The summer tour to 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 too much on them so soon after long periods.
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 when Marc Guehi’s move to Anfield fell through.
Liverpool ended up relying on Gomez quite often this season due to an injury crisis at right-back with Conor Bradley breaking his leg and Jeremie Frimpong’s hamstring problems proving a recurring problem on top of his unsuitability for the role.
Gomez continued to have his own persistent injury problems and while Liverpool are holding on to him this summer, past history suggests he is not someone they can rely on to play too often.
It’s clear that Jacquet, for the price he was signed for and his relative age compared to Leoni, is set to be Van Dijk’s centre-back partner, but there is still a depth issue that Liverpool need to address this summer at the heart of the defense now that Konate is off.
Liverpool’s second pressing priority
An emotional Salah says goodbye to Anfield
Liverpool could do without losing another regular first-team starter when their priority in the transfer window is to address the gaps in the forward line. Salah’s exit and Ektike’s injury, which will keep him out for the foreseeable future, leaves Slot extremely short.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande appears to be the top target for Liverpool’s right winger to replace Salah – but they face stiff 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, who currently earns less than £35,000 a week before bonuses, although the German club are not ruling out a sale if the right offer comes along.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
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 don’t see anyone out there as a like-for-like replacement, especially in terms of numbers. Signed at right-back, Frimpong has also shown he can play further up if needed.
Preparations for life after Salah began last summer with the arrival of Ekitike and Alexander Isak who, when both are fit, ensure Liverpool are well covered centrally as well as playing out wide on the left. However, there are availability concerns surrounding both players.
Ektike is of course out for an extended period with one of the more complicated injuries a footballer can suffer, while Isak missed 31 games last season for Liverpool, more than the total of 22 he played. It is crucial that his availability improves.
The emergence of seventeen-year-old Rio Ngumoha increases the options on the left. Liverpool will want to ensure they do not block the teenager’s path to the first team, but he is not ready to be trusted as a regular starter. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo, the other option, had a disappointing season by his standards.
Finding versatile strikers who primarily play on the right, such as Diomande, will be crucial for Liverpool to address their current lack of attack. Now the urgency to draft a defender will also increase. Liverpool have a lot to do.