Ibrahima Konate is in talks with Liverpool over a new contract but is also attracting transfer interest, though Paris Saint-Germain strongly deny links.
Konate is one of three players who will have just 12 months left on their Liverpool contracts this summer, along with Andy Robertson and Caoimhin Kelleher.
While Kelleher is expected to depart and Robertson’s long-term future is in question, tying the Frenchman down to a new deal is considered imperative.
But talks have not been straightforward due to a number of factors, no doubt including the uncertainty over negotiations with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
According to Le Parisien this week, Konate “has not yet expressed a clear choice for his future” and “should instead make a decision in a few months, at the end of the season.”
PSG ‘strongly deny’ interest
This comes amid reports of interest from both PSG and Real Madrid, though both Le Parisien and Get French Football News relay word from the French club in “strongly denying” their involvement.
Real Madrid could pose a genuine option as, despite the development of Raul Asencio, they are clearly short of quality in the centre-back position.
Konate’s decision will depend on the usual negotiations over contract length and wages, with it unsure if Liverpool would consider the 25-year-old worthy of top-earner status at this stage.
But he may also wait to see who he would be playing alongside, with it clear Van Dijk is his ideal partner at the back, and how much the club are prepared to commit when it comes to the Dutchman as well as Salah and Alexander-Arnold.
Conor Bradley is in a similar position amid talks over a new long-term contract for the right-back, albeit with his conundrum perhaps more weighted towards whether Alexander-Arnold leaves or not.
There could be skepticism over the timing of reports on Konate’s future, particularly as they emanate from Paris in the week Liverpool will visit the Parc des Princes for their Champions League last 16 clash with PSG.
But with PSG seemingly ruling out a move for the Paris-born defender, the motivation for such an update is unclear.
Clearly, losing a player of Konate’s ability and potential – arguably one of the best centre-backs in the world – would be a major blow to Liverpool.
There is no sign at this stage that their No. 5 is angling for an exit, of course, and a delay in signing a new deal can be explained by a variety of reasons.
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