Liverpool’s defence has been the centre of discussion following their failure to sign Marc Guéhi. Without the Englishman, the Reds are left with only three senior defenders on board.
However, as we reported recently, Arne Slot appears to be quite comfortable with the idea. Virgil van Dijk is 34 years old, still in form, but questions regarding his ability to play day in and day out do arise.
Joe Gomez has been very consistent for Liverpool, except when he is injured. Gomez’s injury problem is a well-recorded history at Anfield.
Recent signing Geovanni Leoni, an 18-year-old centre back, has been one of the most promising acquisitions in Slot’s eyes. The Dutch manager believes that Leoni is already Premier League-ready and should make up for any experiential lack in the backline.
Ibrahima Konaté recently raised concerns following his knock against Arsenal, as Liverpool defeated the Gunners 1-0. However, since then, he has recovered and played both of France’s World Cup Qualifier games.
The Frenchman is the one who regularly pairs with Virgil van Dijk in the heart of defence. Konaté’s contract expires at the end of the season, and this has been a point of worry at Liverpool.
Quiz: Can you name the team Liverpool signed these players from?
Liverpool makes contract extension progress with Ibrahima Konaté
Liverpool are in advanced talks with Ibrahima Konaté’s agent regarding a contract extension (Credits: Imago Images)
According to TBR Football, Liverpool is progressing talks with Konaté’s agent regarding a contract extension. Despite being linked with the likes of Real Madrid for weeks, it looks like Ibrahima is willing to settle for a central role at Anfield.
In an interview with TF1, the defender even revealed that France teammate Kylian Mbappé calls him every two hours. The striker makes those calls to convince the Paris native to join Real Madrid.
Although the actuality of the statement can be questioned but Los Blancos have been on Konaté’s tail for a long time. If talks fall through, this will be bad news for Arne Slot as the Reds will be forced to swoop in on Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi in January.
However, reports claim that Liverpool is confident in reaching an agreement with Ibrahima. Still, there is room for Slot to row in backups just in case.
Marc Guéhi almost completed a transfer to Liverpool this summer, but an internal strife at Selhurst Park resulted in a transfer rejection. Despite the setback, Slot and Co. decided to retreat and reconsider in the summer of 2026.
